Once Upon a Time 

Anna Marcet Haldeman 


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ONCE UPON A TIME 

THE FAERIE DOINGS IN 
CEDAR CREEK VALLEY 


ANNA MARCET HALDEMAN 


GIRARD, KANSAS 


Copyright, 1916 
Bg Anna Marpet Haldeman 



M -4 1917 

©CI.A453513 

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To My Grandmother 

Anna Hostetter Haldeman Addams 
And to Her Most Gracious Majesty 
The Queen of the Fairies 



The Faerie Folk and, myself are deeply 
indebted to the constructive criticism 
of our friend , Lillian Concord Jonasen 






THE WAY TO FAIRYLAND 


9 


ROCKY NOOK: Tales of The Fairies' Grotto ^ - 13 

1. How Faith Went In Search Of The Fairies - 15 

2. How Faith Found Freedom 17 

3. How Four Leaf Clover Warned The Fairies 20 

4. How The King Saved The Fairies’ Talisman - ... 24 

5. How Freedom Came To Live With The Fairies - - - - 31 

AS THE DAYS GLIDED BY 35 

ALONG THE CREEK: The Adventures of Freedom and Faith - - 41 

1. Faith’s Adventure With Windflower ------ 43 

2. Faith’s Adventure With Twink, The Elf -Man 49 

3. Faith’s Adventure With The Hama-dryads - 52 

4. Freedom’s Adventure With The Rainbow Princess - 58 

5. Freedom’s Adventure With The Enchanted Peacock - - - 62 

6. Freedom’s Adventure With The Wind and The Rain - - - 66 

7. The Children’s Adventure With The Funny Old Gnome - - 71 

AS THE MOON GREW ROUND --------- 79 

PINE HILL AND CEDAR CLIFF: The Gallant Rescue of The Rainbow 

Frost Prince w - r - 85 

1. How The Pine Giant Advised The Children ----- 87 

2. How Faith Discovered Where The Swan and The Peacock Were 

Held Captive - 94 

3. How Freedom Persuaded Stream and Forest To Hold Council - 97 

4. How The Prince and The Lord of The Forest Were Restored To 

The Valley 104 

5. How Freedom Took Leave of Faith and His Friends - - 113 


AT THIS VERY MOMENT 


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The Wag to Fairyland 






The Way to Fairyland 


11 


The way to Fairyland lies through The Village Where the 
Cedars Grow. It is a really truly village and at the very 
end of it you will find the Place Where the Birds Like To 
Nest. 

This is on the borderland of the Enchanted Valley and you 
will know it at once by the bits of string hung on 
the bushes for the birds to use in building, or better still, 
by the many tanagers and orioles and wood-peckers. 

Soon a beautiful lady in a wonderful trailing robe of 
shimmering lavender will come out of the house in the 
midst of the trees, and begin to feed the birds. Be careful 
not to interrupt her, but wait patiently until they have all 
finished eating and the lady is seated upon her wide 
verandah. 

Then, when the birds have sung their thanks to her and 
you see her smile, go quickly and ask if you may sit beside 
her, for she knows all about the fairies and their friends. 
And if she thinks you too believe in them, she will gladly 
help you find your way into the lovely country where they 
live. 


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j Rocky Nook 


Tales of the Fairies Grotto 



I 

HoxO Faith Went In Search of the Fairies 

Now it happened that the eldest son of the Birds’ Beautiful Friend had 
a little daughter. Her name was Faith and she had heard so much about the 
fairies from her Father that, above all else in the world, she longed to see them. 

When she was eight years old she confided this desire to her Father who 
told her to make ready at once to go with him upon a long journey for he 
intended to take her to visit his beautiful Mother. And in less time than it 
takes to tell it, they were on their way. 

They travelled two whole days and a night before they reached the 
Village Where The Cedars Grow. And, as they travelled. Faith’s Father talked 
to her about the Little People and told her lovely stories of their doings and 
of her Grandmother, the Birds’ Beautiful Friend. 

They arrived at her house in the Place Where the Birds Like to Nest just 
at twilight and all that evening Faith chatted with her Grandmother and her 
Father. But early the next morning when she opened her eyes she found 
hanging over the foot of her bed the prettiest yellow dress. 

It fitted her exactly and was so soft and light that when she had it on 
she felt as if she were a little yellow butterfly. Then she began to look around 
for her shoes and stockings, but the dew laden grass was too tempting. She 
just couldn’t wait to run over it and tripping downstairs she opened the big 
front door. 

* .k ! 

On the verandah, her Grandmother was talking with the birds but at 
sight of her little grand-daughter she came toward her and Faith saw that 
she held a wooden cup brimful of foaming milk and a great brown staff which 
was as tall as herself and rough with a pointed spike at the bottom. 

“Drink this milk, dear,” she smiled. “It will keep you from feeling 
hungry or thirsty for a long while.” 


16 


Once Upon a Time 


The little girl did as she was bidden and when she had finished her 
Grandmother handed her the staff. “Take good care of my old, brown friend,” 
she cautioned, “for once you are in the Enchanted Valley he will lead you 
wherever you wish to go.” 

“But how shall I find the Valley, Grandmother?” asked Faith wonder- 

ingly. 

“Beyond our lawn,” answered the Birds’ Beautiful Friend, “is a little 
pasture through which runs a swift stream. Follow it until you come to an 
old grey mill with a great splashing wheel. Go past the mill and presently you 
will discover some elm-root steps that lead downward. After that you must find 
your way alone.” 

Faith thanked her and carrying the staff carefully came safely to the 
elm-root steps. They led down into a ravine which was so wide that the only 
way she could cross it was by means of the wishing-stones that rose up above 
the water. When she came to the last one she gave a jump and landed in a 
little wooded valley. 

That very same instant her staff fell out of her hand and there stood 
beside her instead, a shaggy, brown dog with an iron spike in his collar. He 
lept up and down and all around her, but was careful not to knock her over. 
Now, it was a strange thing, but Faith had always believed that some day she 
would have just such a dog! She was so happy that she put her arms about 
his neck and patted him again and again. 

“I wonder what your name is?” she exclaimed. “I guess I’ll call you 
Spike. I’m hunting for the fairies! Please, Spike, take me to them.” 

At that he gave a deep bark and trotted on ahead of her until they 
rounded a hill and came to a hidden ledge overhanging the water. 


II 

How Faith Found Freedom 


The ledge was so slippery and narrow that Faith wondered how she 
could ever find a footing upon it. She was even tempted to retrace her foot- 
steps. But the great dog jumped right into the foaming water and looked 
up at her as much as to say: “Don’t be afraid. I won’t let any harm come to 
you.” 

“Oh, Spike dear,” she murmured, “the water looks awfully deep! But 
I’ll do it!” And, gathering all her courage, she started forward carefully pick- 
ing her dangerous way while the shaggy dog swam slowly beside her to save 
her in case she should fall. 

Just where the torrent released from the mill-wheel met the placid 
stream, the ledge began to widen and, suddenly, the little girl entered the most 
beautiful, shaded grotto. Delicate ferns embroidered everything and inter- 
lacing boughs made the secluded nook such an enchanting bower that Faith 
knew it could belong only to the fairies! 

Soon she began to see them. Some were drinking dew from the flowers; 
others were singing to the birds who were nest building in the crannies; but 
by far the largest number were gathered on a great rock that leaned right 
against the cliff. The rock was very wide at its base and sloped up from 
the ground to a narrow summit where there was a tiny throne upon which 
were seated, side by side, the wonderful little King and Queen. 

Her Majesty’s garments were of silver-white lady’s smock petals; the 
King’s of golden cowslips. At each point of his crown and the tip of his wand 
blazed a splinter of ruby; in the Queen’s wand and crown sapphires flashed like 
wee tongues of blue flame. And from their shoulders hung royal mantles of 
purple iris. 

It was all so bewitching and the lovely Little People were so exactly as 
Faith had hoped to find them, that before she knew it she exclaimed right out 


18 


Once Upon a Time 


loud, “Oh, you darlings !” When the fairies heard her they were terribly 
startled to think that a human child should have seen them, and in less time 
than it takes a leaf to rustle, everyone of them had vanished. 

The little girl was so sorry she had disturbed them, that she began to 
cry quietly, and was just turning to go when she fancied she heard someone 
ask: 

“What’s the matter?’’ Yet the voice was so like the sighing of the wind 
that she could not be certain. 

While she was trying to decide what the sound could have been, a boy, 
slightly taller than herself, moved away from the deep crevice, in the entrance 
of which he had been standing. He was dressed in moss and ferns and looked 
so like the rocks that it was not surprising the little girl had not seen him. 
The children gazed at each other earnestly for several moments and Faith 
noticed that! the boy’s eyes were as dark and mysterious as deep pools that lie in 
shadow. From one of his hands dangled a chain of raindrops; in the other 
he carried a sunbeam. 

“Who are you?’’ she asked timidly. 

“Freedom,” he answered. 

“I’ve never heard anyone named that before,” said Faith. 

“They called me that when I came out of the Rock,” he explained. 

“Were you enchanted?” she questioned, her eyes full of wonder. 

“No!” said the little boy quickly and was silent for so long that Faith 
began to fear she had offended him. But, just as she was becoming very un- 
comfortable he came quite close to her and whispered softly in her ear, “I 
would rather tell you my story when the fairies are not listening.” 

At this she felt very much ashamed to think she had almost forgotten 
them, and begged Freedom to ask them to return. 

“Perhaps,” he suggested, “it would be better if you spoke to them your- 


self.” 


Tales of the Fairies' Grotto 


19 


“Please,” said Faith, as softly as she could, “please Your Majesties, 
won’t you and your people come out from your hiding? I’ll go away if you’d 
rather. But truly, you can trust me.” 

She had scarcely finished speaking before something softer than a rose 
petal touched her cheek, dropped to her palm and stayed there. It felt so 
light that she looked to see if she had not been mistaken. What she found 
made her hold her breath with joy! For, right on her own little fingers, his 
gauzy wings slowly opening and closing, balanced an elegant, graceful fairy! 

He was all in green with a little cocked hat made in four pieces, and 
had the merriest eyes and the gayest manner! 

“Lift me a trifle higher,” he commanded, in a voice more musical than 
the clearest note of the nightingale. “Lift me up to your little chin!” 

The child did so, very slowly and carefully. When she had raised the 
tiny courtier to just the place he wished to go, the fairy continued: “It is a 
long time, a very long time, since I have talked with a human child whose 
belief in our people has been strong enough to enable her to see us. I bring 
a message from the King and Queen. While you have been visiting with our 
Rock Boy, their Majesties have decided to welcome you here as often as you 
choose to come and they wish you to stay as long as you like. For Freedom 
needs a playmate. He will teach you to know us all by name. I am Four Leaf 
Clover.” 

And before Faith could ask him to thank the King and Queen for their 
kindness to her, the fairy had fluttered to the rock, where the courtiers had 
reassembled and the King and Queen were again seated upon their throne. 

There Her Majesty said something to the King and motioned with her 
wand toward the children. At that all the fairies waved their hands and called 
out in a pretty chorus: “Welcome to Freedom’s comrade and our new friend!” 

“Come,” said the little boy, after Faith had made a shy courtsey, “Call 
your dog and come with me. While they finish holding their Court, I’ll tell 
you all about the Grotto.” 


Ill 

How Four Leaf Clover Warned the Fairies 

‘‘Once upon a time,” began Freedom, when he and Faith had snuggled 
down into two cozy seats made by moss-covered rocks and Spike had settled 
himself with his great head against the little girl's knee, ‘‘once upon a time, 
this Nook wasn’t half so lovely as it is now. It really wasn’t a grotto at all — 
just a pretty glen. But even then, the fairies lived here because it was so 
safe and hidden. There was the cliff but it was different. A part of it reached 
out over where the King is now holding his court. Then one day a Premonition 
shook Four Leaf Clover.” 

‘‘What’s a Premonition?” 

‘‘Didn’t you ever feel one?” 

She shook her head. 

‘‘Well, it’s a kind of bewitched Inspiration that comes around before 
things are going to happen.” 

‘‘What’s an Inspiration?” 

‘‘Don’t you know that, either!” exclaimed Freedom. ‘‘An Inspiration is 
an enchanted Thought. There are lots of them floating about.” 

‘‘Dear me!” cried Faith, feeling a little frightened. ‘‘Dear me! Where 
do they come from?” 

‘‘Nobody knows,” the boy answered solemnly. ‘‘But the Wind says that 
they go into the minds of human beings. Only sometimes, they get lost and 
don’t find the right person until a long while after they are wanted.” 

‘‘Do you know the Wind?” she asked, curiously. 

‘‘If you don’t stop asking questions,” declared Freedom, “it will take 
me forever to finish my story.” 


Tales of the Fairies ’ Grotto 


21 


Faith promised to keep very quiet but, although she knew much of 
fairy lore, in order to understand this legend, it was necessary often to inter- 
rupt him. 

It seems, that the Premonition which shook Four Leaf Clover was very 
strong. He caught hold of the little fellow’s shoulders with such a firm grasp 
that Four Leaf Clover couldn’t throw him off. This made the fairy feel so 
ashamed that he didn’t want any of his companions to see him ; and he hurried 
under a large leaf to fight his battle all alone. There he and his strange visitor 
had a desperate struggle. But the more Four Leaf Clover resisted the Premoni- 
tion, the more fiercely he clung to him, until the fairy was so exhausted that 
he could not lift his head. Then the Premonition perched upon the little fel- 
low’s chest and commenced to say over and over. “A rock is going to fall! Be 
careful! A ROCK IS GOING TO FALL! BE CAREFUL!!” 

Presently Four Leaf Clover began to repeat the words to himself. When 
he had repeated them several times, he half believed them; when he had re- 
peated them a dozen times, he was certain that a rock was really going to fall ; 
and when he had repeated them fifty times, he was so frightened that he began 
to shout a warning to the other fairies. As soon as he did this, the Premonition 
gave a sigh of satisfaction and flew away. And Four Leaf Clover crawled 
slowly out from his hiding. 

“But what Rock?” demanded all his comrades who had gathered around 
him, for they are a frivolous little people and would much rather ask a question 
than take the trouble to think of its answer. This one Four Leaf Clover didn't 
know, so they all stood still and looked at each other. Particularly they looked 
at him. As he was lying flat on his back resting, he happened to notice the 
great piece of rock that reached out from the cliff that overhung the nook. 

“That's it!” he called, pointing to it. “That must be it! Look up above 

you!” 

They looked, and when they comprehended what he meant they treated 
him with a great deal of scorn for they were absolutely certain that part of 
such a great wall would never fall. Sweet-briar, the most sensible fairy, even 
said that it was just as likely that the pretty sky would drop out of heaven. 


22 


Once Upon a Time 


The King thought so too, but he expressed no opinion. Instead, he con- 
tinued to examine the jagged hillside. It certainly appeared to be as firm as 
ever! Still, a monarch has to be extremely cautious. Moreover more than 
once he had worked out a splendid plan from some impossible suggestion, 
especially when the suggestion happened to come from Four Leaf Clover. 
(His ability to do this was one of the reasons he was King.) 

“I just believe," he thought, “I just believe I will dispatch a messenger 
to inquire what the folk higher up know." 

But when he considered whom he would send, the errand seemed so 
silly that he was afraid anyone he selected might take it as a joke and, of 
course, no one likes to appear ridiculous. Therefore, he decided the most 
satisfactory way was to go himself. 

“ I shall ride alone this evening," he told his courtiers, when as soon as 
the dew had fallen, he mounted his favorite charger. It was a magnificent 
orange and black butterfly, the swiftest in the realm. The King guided it up, 
up, up, until they were lost to the sight of all below them. A short flight to 
the right and they flew swiftly down to a sweet honeysuckle on the top of the 
cliff, where the fairy dismounted. He found everything in a state of great 
commotion, for the Wind had indeed sent word that he intended to push down 
the great rock that projected. 

The grass and flowers who were going to tumble with it were very much 
upset and bewildered. “You can’t think," they told the King, “how terrible it 
is to be compelled to move." 

Now, fortunately, the King was very tactful. Besides, he understood 
how trying for them the situation was. So, instead of answering back, he just 
sat down on a little yellow dandelion and waited patiently until they had all 
stopped grumbling. 

“I know," he told them, “just how frightened you must feel. Our glen 
will seem very tiny after the wide landscape to which you are accustomed. 
But" (here he bowed low) “we will do all we can to make you feel contented 
and you will be as welcome as the first ray of the new Moon." 


Tales of the Fairies' Grotto 


23 


This generosity made them feel so ashamed of being sulky that the Blue 
Grass condescended to explain that they expected the upheaval any time dur- 
ing the coming day. 

“So soon!” exclaimed the King, thinking of all he must arrange before 
the disaster should take place. “Then I must wish you a safe journey and be 
on my way." 

The instant he landed in his glen, he summoned all his subjects to whom 
he announced that within the short space of less than twenty-four hours their 
kingdom was to be completely changed. Whereupon, he related all that he had 
learned from their neighbors. 

“First Battalion!" he commanded, and three hundred fairies in yellow 
with wings of lavender saluted him. “There are many little creatures in our 
Nook who can swim. You will help them to the stream. Then report to me." 

“Battalion Two!" (Each one in this division wore pale blue and had 
wings of dainty pink.) “Other of our friends will prefer to flee into the 
ground. Remain with them until they are safely in it." 

“Third Battalion!" (They were waiting in ranks of apple green, their 
wings of yellow all a-flutter.) “Request the birds to aid you in transporting 
those who cannot escape by soil or water." 

“And Battalion Four," he continued, as lines of crimson-clad fairies with 
wings of leaf-brown flashed down before him, “to you I entrust all our fairy 
jewels and our priceless talisman." 

In this manner he appointed tasks to his entire nation until, at last, all 
was ready. And none too soon ! For the great storm had begun to gather. 

“Forward!" cried the King, and, placing himself at the head of his peo- 
ple, without looking backward, bravely led them out from the nook where he 
had reigned so long and happily, into the wider valley. 


IV 

HoxO the King Saved the Fairies ’ Talisman 

‘‘Freedom, what is a talisman?” asked Faith. 

“It’s something you mustn’t ever, ever lose,” explained the boy. “If 
you do, you’ll be terribly unhappy. Nearly every nation has one. I’ll show 
you ours.” 

As the children left their seats, Spike lept to his feet and they all three 
went to the dearest fairy Well. A big rock overhung it and on its placid sur- 
face there floated a single large, white water-lily in which a dainty, yellow- 
winged fairy in soft pink lay at ease gently stroking the velvety golden-brown 
sides of a lazy bee. 

“Whiff!” called the boy softly, “oh, Whiff-o’-the-Lily !” 

“Yes, little Rock Boy,” answered the fairy, “What will you have of me?” 

“I want you to let Faith see the talisman,” he told her. 

Whiff lifted grey eyes as full of astonishment as the tones in which she ex- 
claimed, “Show the talisman to a mortal child! Dear Freedom, I dare not!” 

“But Faith’s different,” urged the boy. “She’s a friend of the Queen’s 
now. Her Majesty would like to have her see it, I know she would.” 

“Then the news I heard is really true?” questioned the fairy. “The 
Little Mortal is to be our guest for a long visit? Black Cherry and I could 
scarcely believe it. He left me a while ago to find out if it could be so. 1 
expect him now any moment. Well, I will bring up the talisman. But, indeed, 
Freedom, it is a favor I would do for few in the Grotto.” 

And poising so lightly on the edge of the lily that her dainty bare feet 
did not even press down the snowy petal, she lifted her beautiful, tiny arms 
high above her head and dove down out of sight. 

“I didn’t know fairies could swim,” said Faith. 

“Oh, yes,” returned the Rock Boy, “they can, but they don’t like to 


Tales of the Fairies' Grotto 


25 


because they hate to get their wings wet. If they do they can’t use them 
and then they feel heavy and awkward. But Whiff lived for a while with 
the water-sprites so she doesn’t mind as much as the others. That’s partly 
why she helps Black Cherry guard the talisman.” 

As Freedom finished, a fairy, all in red so dark that it was almost black, 
alighted in the green moss that fringed the little Well and when he saw the 
empty lily, he exclaimed in great dismay, “Where is Whiff, Freedom?” 

“She is coming now, I think,” answered the boy, and sure enough, ripples 
began to stir the quiet water and break against the moss. And soon Whiff’s 
proud little head appeared, as, swimming with one arm, she held the other high. 
In her rosy palm there sparkled a tiny, perfect emerald butterfly. 

“It was the first Fairy King’s wedding gift to the first Fairy Queen — 
hundreds and hundreds of years ago,” said Freedom. “And as long as the 
fairies keep it they will have more power than any other Little People. Once 
the pixies almost stole it from them and when the Great Rock fell they nearly 
lost it.” 

Meanwhile Black Cherry had flown to the lily and lifting a tiny horn to 
his lips he blew a clear, silvery blast upon it. In a few seconds the air was 
full of fairies clad in crimson with wings of leaf-brown. 

“They are the Jewel Guard,” the Rock Boy explained to Faith. “When- 
ever the talisman is brought up from the bottom of the well they are called 
to protect it.” 

They joined hands in a circle about the Well as Black Cherry helped 
Whiff climb into the lily, and Faith thought she had never seen anything quite 
so dainty as the little dripping, pink-clad lady as she stood in the white flower, 
the wee emerald butterfly in her hand, with Black Cherry beside her and sur- 
rounded by the crimson fairy ring. The child could have gone on gazing 
forever and ever at the beautiful picture. 

But it was not long before Black Cherry said pleasantly, “If I were you, 
Whiff, I would take the talisman down again now. One can never tell what 
might happen.” 

“Thank you, Whiff,” said Freedom, and Faith added shyly, “I thank you, 


26 


Once Upon a Time 


too, Whiff-o’-the-Lily.” And as the fairy disappeared a second time the little 
boy turned to Faith. “Let’s go down to the edge of the creek and hang our 
feet in the water and I’ll tell you how the King saved the emerald.” 

“But I’d rather hear how you came to live with the fairies,” urged the 
little girl, as she followed happily, with Spike. 

“No, you’ll like that story better if I tell you this one first,” said the 
little boy firmly. 

“Well!” agreed Faith. “Oh, Freedom, I forgot! I want to ask you 
something.” 

“What?” 

“Doesn’t it hurt the flowers when the fairies take their petals?” 

“Oh, Faith,” laughed the boy. “What a funny question ! Of course not. 
Why, the petals are only the flowers’ garments, and they are always getting 
new ones. They’re glad to give them to the fairies because the Little People 
are so good to them. When it’s dry they bring them water and they cover 
them up when it’s cold and do just lots of other things.” 

“I’m so glad,” breathed Faith. “I’ve been wondering and wondering.” 

And as by now the children had reached a pretty spot they made them- 
selves comfortable and, the cool rapids dashing over their feet, soon forgot 
everything as Freedom told, and Faith listened to the fairies’ favorite story. 

When the King led his people out of the Nook into the wider valley Four 
Leaf Clover lingered behind the others because at the last moment he remem- 
bered a little love locket he had made for Snowflake, his dainty sweetheart. 
When he had found it and was ready to start, his companions were almost out 
of sight. He was in a dreadful panic and hastened toward them as fast as 
his butterfly could carry him. 

He had half overtaken them when he was amazed to meet the leader of 
the Jewel Guard. 

“Where are you going?” gasped Four Leaf. 

“To the Nook!” shouted Black Cherry as he flashed past. 

“Oh, you won’t have time to go back now, for anything,” warned Four 
Leaf and as Black Cherry did not answer, he called after him louder than 


Tales of the Fairies' Grotto 


27 


ever, “Don’t you dare go back to the Nook. You’ll be killed!” But Black 
Cherry only lashed his butterfly the harder. 

When Four Leaf saw that he could not stop him he hurried on again to 
join his comrades to whopi he told Black Cherry’s rashness. “I wonder,” he 
added, “what he left behind?” 

“Yes!” cried the King, as if that were a new thought, “Why should the 
leader of the Jewel Guard suddenly leave his battalion? There must be some 
important reason. Surely, no matter that concerned him alone, would have 
tempted him to desert his post. Descend to the ground at once and open the 
jewel-bags.” 

“Your Majesty,” said Holly Berry (Black Cherry’s first lieutenant), “It 
is not necessary to do that. I can tell you the cause of Black Cherry’s return. 
The emerald butterfly is missing.” 

“The talisman? Not our talisman!” cried all the fairies, their little 
voices shrill with horror. “What will become of us?” 

The Fairy King could scarcely speak for indignation. “How,” he de- 
manded, addressing Holly Berry and the crimson-clad battalion, “How could 
anything so important and well-guarded as our talisman be lost?” 

“Your Majesty, we do not know ourselves,” replied Holly Berry. “It 
is certain that the emerald was brought up safely from the Well with the other 
royal jewels. But in carrying them to the bags it must have been dropped and 
we did not discover it was gone until just as Your Majesty was about to give 
the order to fly.” 

“And why was I not told then?” insisted the King. 

“The storm was rapidly approaching,” Holly Berry explained, “and to 
have told Your Majesty the truth while we were in the Nook or even to have 
detained the whole Jewel Guard might have meant the end of the Fairy Nation. 
For, while Your Majesty was asking questions and we were explaining, we 
might all have been crushed to death. So Black Cherry quickly decided to 
detach a dozen of his bravest fairies, placed Red Trillium in charge of them 
and followed you at the head of his battalion. But once we were well on our 
way, he gave over his command to me and returned to direct the search him- 
self, sure that your Majesty would not miss him; nor would you have done 


28 


Once Upon a Time 


so if the chatter-box of our kingdom had held his tongue,” he finished, scowl- 
ing at that light-hearted little fairy. 

The Queen was deeply moved. “Your Majesty !” she exclaimed, “you 
must send a royal command for them to come at once. The butterfly is so tiny 
that they may search in vain for hours and even now there is barely time for them 
to leave the Nook. Look at the sky! We must be quick if we will save them!” 

“Is it not better to let fourteen fairies die than to take away our only 
chance of recovering the talisman?” replied the King. “At the last second 
one of them may find it and escape.” 

“Yes! Black Cherry knows ever so many charms for finding things,” 
chimed in Four Leaf Clover. 

“I tell you all, there is no time for them to search for anything!” de- 
clared the Queen. “I will not have my people die for nothing. I shall go 
myself, lead them from the dangerous Nook and seek shelter with them where 
best we may.” And before anyone could detain her, she turned her butterfly 
toward the deserted kingdom. 

When her subjects saw where she was going they followed her as swiftly 
as they could, for each one loved the gracious, tender-hearted little lady so much 
that her slightest wish was as compelling as a law. But she was so impulsive 
that often she did not stop to realize just what she was doing* and frequently 
would have led her people into serious troubles had it not been for the wisdom 
of the King. 

Unwilling to desert her, His Majesty reluctantly followed with the others 
toward the Nook, flying by himself at some distance from them. As he was 
watching the black storm clouds and wondering desperately how he could 
persuade his little lady to see the madness of her project before it was too late, 
he suddenly recalled Four Leaf’s careless remark about Black Cherry’s know- 
ing many charms. At once he remembered the most powerful charm in the 
world for finding lost things. It had been given to him by the king of a wan- 
dering band of brownies in exchange for the secret of making a certain won- 
derful potion. His Majesty could not understand why he had not remembered 
this charm sooner. Probably (he decided) because there had been so much 
excitement, and everything had happened so quickly that this was his first 
chance to really think. 


Tales of the Fairies' Grotto 


29 


Just at this point, the Queen turned to him. “If Your Majesty loves me” 
she began, but the King interrupted her. “Halt!” he cried in a tone that made 
everyone draw rein. 

“My people,” he said quickly, “the storm is all but upon us! As your 
King I command you to follow me to safety. Do you not see, my Queen, the 
folly of letting a whole nation run the risk of perishing for the sake of fourteen 
comrades who are only doing their duty. Listen, I have thought of a powerful 
charm. One more fairy, and only one, shall risk his life for our priceless talis- 
man. I call for a single volunteer to carry the magic words to the Nook where 
he shall help Black Cherry and the others search for the emerald until it is 
found or he himself is killed. But fairies, mark me well ! This charm can only 
be spoken with success by one who knows no fear and to whom what he seeks 
is at that moment his true heart’s desire.” 

Immediately each of the Jewel Guard begged to be the one allowed to go. 

“Whoever of you can first correctly repeat the charm shall depart at 
once,” declared the King and very slowly and distinctly he recited: 

“Co-lo-em! Co-lo-delf! 

Brownie, Pixie, Fairy, Elf, 

Gem or flower, gift or pelf! 

You must quickly show yourself. 

Co-lo-em! Co-lo-delf!” 

“Why that’s easy! I thought it was going to be something hard!” ex- 
claimed Four Leaf Clover, saying it glibly. “I’ll go!” And while the crimson- 
clad fairies were whispering it over to themselves to be quite sure that they 
knew it, the gay little fellow was off, urging his butterfly steed to its topmost 
speed for the clouds were now so heavy that it was as dark as night. 

Heavy thunder boomed and rumbled, and great gusts of wind blew the 
fairies out of their lines as they tried to follow the King. 

His Majesty scarcely knew where to guide them, for he was afraid the 
leaves of the trees would not give them enough protection. He was still hesitat- 
ing when the first drops of rain began to fall, and, although no fairy likes to be 
too close to anything made by mortals, the King was compelled to have his 


30 


Once Upon a Time 


subjects take refuge among the mossy rocks, beneath the great bridge that 
crossed the stream, not far from the Nook. The fairies were just settled when 
the storm burst in all its fury. 

“Four Leaf Clover was too late!” mourned the Queen. “My brave fairies 
are lost! They cannot have left the Nook.” 

Scarcely had she uttered these words, when there was a vivid flash of 
lightning. In its glare they could see a tiny crimson line valiantly beating its 
way on weary steeds, through the grey rain drops, across the stream to its 
bank opposite the Nook. And flying slowly at some distance behind the others, 
his butterfly doubly exhausted from his two, long, hurried flights, came Four 
Leaf Clover. 

“They must have found the emerald!” cried all the fairies. 

“Yes, they must have found the emerald!” echoed Holly Berry. “Black 
Cherry and Four Leaf Clover would have died rather than have left the Nook 
without it.” 

And, indeed, Four Leaf Clover did have the little green butterfly in his 
hand. But the next moment there came a report that could be heard for miles 
and miles. The earth shook and the sky blazed. Everywhere the folk and 
creatures of the Enchanted Valley thought the end had come. And even the 
fairies who knew very well that it was only the Great Rock falling clung to 
each other in terror as they saw a piece of it bound to the edge of the Nook 
and roll into the creek. 

The splash that followed sent the water dashing up into the air, drench- 
ing Four Leaf and his butterfly so that they sank downward. Holly Berry 
thought that as they fell they were blown toward the far bank of the stream, but 
it was with heavy hearts that the Little People started out in search of the 
fairy and their brave comrades. 

They found them all in a hollow log on top of which Four Leaf had 
landed. He was soaked through and through but at sight of Their Majesties 
who had dismounted, he tried to smile in his usual saucy fashion, and stagger- 
ing up placed the emerald at the feet of the little Queen. 

“So you see,” finished Freedom, “not a single life was lost, and the 
King had saved the talisman.” 


V 

HoW Freedom Came to Live With the Fairies 

Long before Freedom had finished recounting these happenings, Four 
Leaf Clover left the other fairies and came over to the children, stretched 
himself at full length along a swaying tendril of wild columbine, folded his 
wings and went fast asleep. 

“I think,” Faith said decidedly, pointing to him, “that he deserves half 
of the credit.” 

“Do you?” cried Freedom, delighted. “I think so, too, but Sweet-briar, 
the most sensible fairy, says that if it weren’t for the King there would never 
be anything done for which one could claim credit. If there were no credit, 
one could not possibly divide it, and there would be no half for Four Leaf 
Clover to get. Therefore, since the King made the credit, he deserves it. I 
don't quite understand it,” he admitted, “but it sounds as if it must be so.” 

“How does Four Leaf Clover feel about it?” Faith asked. 

“Oh, he is always merry! He doesn’t even care that I shall soon leave 
the fairies.” 

“How soon?” 

“I don’t know,” the boy answered, simply. “The Little People have 
taught me all their secrets, but he is the only one who has ever told me any- 
thing about myself.” 

At that instant the little fellow rolled off the columbine into the folds 
of Faith’s dress. “Oh my ! Oh me! ! Oh me! ! ! he exclaimed. “What a tumble !” 

“Four Leaf,” begged Freedom, “will you tell the little girl the tale of 
How I Came To Be?” 

“If the King knew,” chuckled the fairy, “that you knew! Oh my! Oh 
me ! Oh me ! !” and he laughed so hard that he was obliged to turn a flip-flop 
before he could speak again. “If the King knew that I had told you, he — he 
would have me beheaded.” 


32 


Once Upon a Time 


“Why Four Leaf Clover!” contradicted Freedom, “the King never did 
that to anybody!” 

“Puff!” said the fairy, “even a King can do something surprising.” And 
he gamboled onto his columbine, where he sat staring mischievously at the 
little girl. 

“Why will the King be so furious?” she asked, turning to the little boy. 

“Because, Pretty Stranger,” piped Four Leaf Clover, “although the whole 
Valley knows that Freedom is the child of the Rain and the Wind and the Sun, 
the story of How He Came To Be is a secret between the Elements and our- 
selves. And that’s the very last word I shall tell you.” 

But as soon as Freedom began the story, the little sprite kept adding 
descriptions and correcting what the boy said until finally, before he realized 
it, the fairy was doing all the talking. This is what the little girl gathered : 

Once upon a time, some raindrops found themselves captives in the great 
rock that used to project over the Nook of the fairies. The hopeless prisoners 
wandered about in the endless catacombs of the sandstone until, weary of ex- 
ploring, they trickled the same round over and over, year after year, decade 
after decade. 

So constantly did they retrace their pathway that at the end of a cen- 
tury, the faint outline of a little figure had appeared. Century after century, 
aeon after aeon, the melted snows and storm-spent water that filtered down 
to join them carved along the same pattern. To do this was their greatest joy 
and occupation, and at last, under their faithful chiseling, a little Rock Boj 
began to emerge. Then, how they toiled and how they chatted to each other, 
as feature by feature their child became steadily nearer completion! 

With infinite care they made him, giving him a slender body that woulc 
have great strength and modelling his head so nobly that they knew his 
thoughts would be both brave and gentle. But his face was their greatest 
achievement! For never before had one little countenance expressed at once 
so much beauty and power. Moreover, in their patience they had carved his 
lips into a smile, so natural that it seemed as if at any moment he must stir 
and waken. Yet the years rolled by, and he lay as still as he was perfect, until 
the day when the Wind pushed down the top of the cliff. 


Tales of the Fairies’ Grotto 


33 


Of course, the Wind had no idea he should discover any such prisoner, 
and no one was more surprised than he was when the great rock broke into 
pieces and freed the little creature. The Sun peeped out from behind a cloud 
to see what the Wind had done, and flung his golden mantel over the motion- 
less child, who soon began to stretch and open his eyes. He didn’t know where 
he was, because, naturally, he felt very startled, but he did not cry out nor 
whimper — just looked about him and listened. 

It is sad to know that the first thing he heard was a terrible wrangle, 
for the Rain and the Wind and the Sun all wanted to claim him. 

“He is mine,” gurgled the first, “I made him.” 

“He is mine,” roared the second, “I freed him.” 

“He is mine,” flamed the last, “I warmed him into life.” 

Indeed, they became so furious that the very hills trembled with the 
shock of the conflict. And it is hard to tell what might have followed, if it had 
not been for the Sun’s deep hatred of all warfare and darkness. 

“Suppose,” he proposed at last to the others, “suppose we let the little 
Rock Boy live here with the fairies until he has learned enough to be able to 
choose for himself, to which of us he cares to belong.” 

This plan was so excellent that the Wind and Rain subsided at once to 
consider it and in due time agreed to accept it. 

“You’re a brilliant fellow,” they told the Sun as they left him, and he 
beamed in happy response. 

“Come home,” his smile seemed to say to the fairies. “Come home, the 
storm’s over.” But when they returned, he had followed his rivals into the 
land beyond the horizon. 

“Which one shall you choose, Freedom?” Faith asked a little shyly, for 
now that she had heard all about him, he seemed to her a very strange little 
person. “Do choose the Sun!” 

But the boy only laughed as if he, too, were embarrassed, and, springing 
up, led the little girl and her dog from marvel to marvel. 








As the Dags Glided Bg 



As the Days Glided By 


37 


As the days glided by, Faith learned to know the Grotto 
almost as well as Freedom knew it. She dreamed away, 
long, sultry afternoons on a rock softer with moss than 
the downiest couch laden with cushions. And, to make 
her slumber more restful, the fairies wove petals of sleep- 
giving flowers into an exquisite coverlid. 

In the starlight, from the big rock that lay in the sweetly 
gliding waves close to the Nook, she watched them sail the 
wee skiffs, fashioned from lady’s slipper blooms and pene- 
trated at sunrise the depths of the long cavern where 
they stored all their potions and charms. 

She came, too, to know the gleeful elf-men, who swam past 
in boisterous groups. They had not the fairies’ pretty 
wings nor their delicate beauty, but they were much more 
clever, and so frolicsome that they were always welcome to 
land and mingle in the gay revels with which the King and 
Queen were accustomed to celebrate the midnight hours. 

Two of the elves who came oftener than any of the others 
appeared to be great friends of Four Leaf Clover. One of 
them had a peaked cap wreathed with lily-of-the-valley 
blossoms that jingled as he walked. If he shook his head, 
they played the liveliest tune, to which his comrade, whose 


38 


Once Upon a Time 


name was Twink, liked to dance. This elf was so full of 
antics that he amused everyone and used to make even 
the King laugh gaily. 

His Majesty was very kind to his guests, but Faith noticed 
he seemed quite relieved when they left. Moreover, she 
knew that, although the elves and fairies had together 
driven the pixies out of the Valley, the King had not 
changed the decree which, time out of mind, had forbidden 
any subject of Rocky Nook to visit the Elfland Fastness. 
When she asked Four Leaf Clover to tell her the reason 
he looked very wise and refused flatly to answer. 

Freedom, however, was not so silent. “There is an old 
proverb,” he told her, “ *An elf is only an elf. But the 
fairy who trusts one may change to a goblin.’ Sometime,” 
he promised, “I’ll take you to their Stronghold. But you 
mustn’t ever go there alone.” 

“Why not, Freedom?” 

“Because,” explained the boy, “when the elves are tired, 
they can be very ill-tempered.” 

“I don’t care,” said Faith stubbornly, they can’t change 
ME into a gobblin.” 


As the Days Glided By 


39 


“No,” agreed Freedom, “they can’t. But they can cross 
your eyes, steal all your hair and turn up your nose. If 
they like they can make you the ugliest child in the world.” 

“Oh, Freedom, please don’t let them.” 

“Now how can I help you, if I am miles away when they 
do it?” 

“I’ll tell you what,” she suggested, “If you’ll take me 
everywhere you go, I won’t go out of this Grotto without 
you.” 

“All right,” he said, “I’ll promise, if you will.” 

And so it came about that thereafter, whenever Freedom 
roamed over the Enchanted Valley, the little girl rambled 
with him. And often the great dog trotted along so that, 
if she grew tired, she could ride on his back, while the 
little boy romped beside them. 




Along the Creek 


The Adventures of Freedom and Faith 


* 





















/ 

Faith’s Adventure With WildfloWer 


One mid-summer evening the children went for a long paddle in their 
canoe of fragrant red cedar. They had been far up the Stream, and were 
again nearing the dam, when they heard the sound of a distant harp and sil- 
very laughter. 

“Oh, Oh!” breathed Faith softly, “where is it Freedom?” 

“Down under the falls,” the little boy answered. “Do you know some- 
thing?” he added, “I’ve never once been there.” 

“Come now, Freedom,” a voice near them rippled. “The Rainbow Prin- 
cess will be glad to see you.” 

“I thought she lived up in the sky,” the little girl whispered. 

“No, no,” said Freedom, as, springing out of the canoe, he held up his 
hand to help Faith down beside him. “You’re thinking of her Mother, the 
Rainbow Queen. She does stay up in the sky, but the Princess is wedded 
to the Frost King and almost never leaves the earth. Of course, she is really 
the Frost Queen, but she lived so long in this Stream before she went to the 
Northland that no one here ever calls her anything but the Princess.” 

“Why isn’t she in the Northland now?” 

“Oh, it’s a long story,” the little boy answered, “I haven’t time to tell 
it all to you — her son the Rainbow Frost Prince is bewitched and can’t leave 
this Valley. So she has come back to be with him. This Stream is her very 
own. Her father, the mightiest of all the great seas’ monarchs gave it to her 
when she was very little. As soon as it grows colder the Frost King comes 
down and lives here too, in the Valley until Spring. Please hurry, Faith!” 
for she had not even so much as stirred. 

“You go,” she pleaded, “you go without me. I can’t breathe under water. 
Truly, I can’t, Freedom.” And her face looked so troubled that although he felt 
sure the Princess would take care that no harm should befall the little girl, 
he did not try to persuade her against her will. 


44 


Once Upon a Time 


“Wait here for me,” he called, and Faith promised. 

She watched him swim with long, swift strokes to the very brink of the 
falls, then, with a gay laugh dash down into the foaming whirlpool. Little 
did she guess how much was to happen before they met each other again!!! 

At first she was busy picturing to herself all that her comrade 
must be doing, but as hour after hour slipped by, she became restless. “Per- 
haps,” she thought, “Freedom has forgotten me, or the Princess has persuaded 
him to mingle in some water-festival.” Still she waited. 

Presently her eyelids began to flutter. They dropped lower and lower. 
Finally they closed altogether. 

Whether the canoe drifted into the current or whether by accident some 
of the Stream People pushed it, Faith never knew. All she could remember 
was, that she awoke from a horrible dream of falling, to find herself actually 
in the water. In a flash she realized that she must have gone over the dam ! ! 
She tried to recall what Freedom had taught her of swimming, but she was 
being whirled along so fast that she was helpless. The surging torrent roared 
in her ears, blinded her eyes and seemed to press her down, down, down into 
blackness. 

Suddenly leagues away, someone chanted a sing-song: 

“Water-sprites! — Water-sprites! 

Where — can — you — he? 

“Water-sprites! — Water-sprites! 

Listen — to — me! 

Some — little — child — is — sinking — down 

Into — Eternal — Slumber — Town. 

Water-sprites! — Water-sprites ! 

Don’t — let — her — down!” 

Scarcely had the ditty ended before Faith felt herself being borne 
swiftly upward. As she neared the surface, the same sweet voice continued: 

“Stand — on — your — feet, — little — pearl, 

Stand — on — your — feet ! 


The Adventures of Freedom and Faith 


45 


The — stream — flows — deep 
For — those — who — sleep! 

Stand — on — your — feet — pretty — girl! 

Stand — on — your — feet!” 

So clear and insistent was the murmur that at last Faith tried hard to 
obey it. In the very midst of her struggles, it seemed to her that a lovely lady, 
tall like a mortal and trailing a long chain of pebbles, flew forth from the 
shadowy jungle. The next moment firm, delicate fingers slipped under the 
little girl’s chin, and, gently raising her head out of the water, held it until 
her toes had sought and found the rocky bottom. Then the hand was with- 
drawn, and when, strangling and sputtering, Faith had straightened to her 
full height, she discovered to her amazement that the Stream came only a little 
way above her waist. But there was no one in sight except the many water- 
sprites who had helped to rescue her. 

They clustered all about her, and as they bobbed up and down, and in 
and out among the wavelets, Faith saw vaguely that they were as different 
from the elves as the elves were different from the fairies. She would have 
liked to look at them more closely, but she was so exhausted that she dared 
not linger longer in the water. Indeed, it swirled so swiftly, and she felt so 
dizzy, that she needed all the courage she possessed to wade safely to the bank. 

With a sigh she sank down among the high grasses. They were so thick 
and feathery that when they met over her head she was completely hidden. 
But peering through them she could see right into a little moonlit elfin-dell, 
where a clear Spring bubbled. Between the Spring and the lofty hillside an 
ancient tree had long since been uprooted, and there upon the great, moss- 
covered trunk, a lady with lovely wings of softest pink, had settled down to rest. 
Cobwebs spun together clad her slender, graceful form in filmy folds of grey 
and lavender — and dusky hair, as dark as night, clung in damp, curling tendrils 
about her wistful face. She was so beautiful that just to look at her made 
Faith’s heart beat fast. 

The child was full of wonder. For tears were rolling, one by one, down 
the dainty lady’s white cheeks. Elves, carrying acorn cups, gathered about her 


46 


Once Upon a Time 


to catch the sparkling drops, with which they disappeared into the ground 
near the log. While they toiled, the lady murmured sweetly a faint, purling 
song. The little girl could not hear many of the words, but she felt sure the 
voice was the same that had called to the water-sprites, and to herself. She 
longed to speak, to put her arms around the faerie-creature, but feared that 
she might startle her. So she lay quite still instead, watching the strange do- 
ings of the elves, until one of the tiny men, scurrying up from the Stream, 
stumbled over her thumb, and fell flat. It was Twink! 

“Now what!” he gasped. 

“Are you hurt?” inquired Faith anxiously. 

“Fll dance and find out,” he suggested, suiting the action to the word with 
such skill and good humor that the little girl clapped her hands with delight. 

“I’m all right!” he laughed. 

“Oh, Twinkle,” cried the child, “please don’t stop!” 

“Must!” he declared. “Have to work. My turn at the Spring and I’m 

late.” 

“Tell me before you go,” she coaxed, “who the lovely lady is and why 
she’s crying.” 

“Crying because we’ve chained her so she can’t fly away from us. She’s 
Windflower, our sylph.” 

“I don’t understand,” said Faith. 

“No doubt you don’t,” responded the elf. “It’s quite a difficult story. 
However, I used to know all of it. Attend!” And sitting down he pulled his 
fat little knees up to his chin and began in his jerky way: 

“Sylphs are spirits of the air . 

Ours is sweet as she is fair . 

She used to bring the dew each morn , 

Until the day her wing was torn. 

She wept; we tasted of her tears ! 


The Adventures of Freedom and Faith 


47 


Such drink had not been ours for years . 

We caught her with a pretty net. 

We're glad to say we have her yet 
We give her food and tender care. 

We've made a chain for her to wear 
And forged it to a log.” 

Faith saw that the long chain of pebbles which was fastened at one end 
around Windflower's ankle was indeed forged at the other to the fallen tree- 
trunk, and she became very indignant toward the elves. 

“You ought to be ashamed to keep her a prisoner,” she declared hotly 
and before Twink could make any answer, she called clearly to the sylph: 
“Lovely Lady! I thank you ever so much for saving my life. If you want me 
to, I’ll try my best to help you escape.” 

At the child’s eager words, Windflower lifted her head and smiled sadly 
as she murmured: 

“No! — Little — Mortal — sweet — of — heart, 

1 — do — long — deeply — to — depart 
To — my — high — and — airy — home 
Just — beneath — the — great — sky — dome. 

But — the — chain — that — holds — me — here 
Binds — me — fast — to — much — that's — dear. 

I — have — learned — to — love — my — dell 
And — my — elves — who — fashion — well 
Our — Spring — of — Tears.” 

“There, now! You heard that!” cried Twink. 

“Do her tears really make the spring?” asked Faith. 

“Of course,” said the elf, “Come along with me and look.” 

Through the crystal water the little girl could see straight to the bottom 
which was covered with shimmering sand. In it a group of Twink’s comrades 
were struggling up with the very tears that she had seen the lovely lady weep. 
And no sooner did one elf toss the bright drops from his acorn and clamber 


48 


Once Upon a Time 


out, than another hurried up from the earth to take his place. To Faith, 
accustomed to the carefree life of the fairies, the industry of these other tiny 
folk seemed so strange that she leaned nearer to the spring to observe them 
better. 

“I’m going down myself,” said Twink. “You watch! And after while 
I’ll show you where I live. Maybe I’ll give you a glimpse of the rest of my 
people.” 

“Oh, dear,” thought the child, as the wee man trotted off to the Sylph. 
“Whatever will Freedom say if I break my promise and go to the Elves’ Strong- 
hold without him?” 

And she worried so much about how she could refuse Twink’s invitation, 
and at the same time not hurt his feelings, that she completely forgot her narrow 
escape from drowning. 


II 

Faith's Adventure with Twink , the Elf^Man 


When Twink finally emerged with a crowd of his fellows, she had no 
choice but to do as he told her, for all the elves were in the jolliest humor, and 
without so much as a “by your leave” or an “if you please,” a dozen of them 
swarmed up to the little girl’s shoulders. There they perched, while their 
leader scrambled to the top of her head, and grasped two locks of hair to 
use as reins. 

“Go along, Miss Human,” he chattered, “follow the wall of the hill on 
your left, and keep your eyes open.” 

A hundred paces inland brought her to the portals of a cave, cut out 
of the solid rock. Above appeared a smaller cleft which the elves explained 
to her they permitted the birds to use, on the condition that they act as look- 
outs. Inside, the grey dimness was broken only by a few flickering fire-flies, 
and putting out her hand, Faith found the wall as cold and damp as the stones 
of a tomb. She began to wonder, if, after all, she should have ventured into 
this strange region without Freedom. 

“Where are we?” she demanded, and it seemed to her that her voice 
sounded queer and hollow. 

“In the outer chamber of our fortress, Miss Mortal,” responded the elf. 
“Go forward.” 

But this was easier said than done, for the vault, which was shaped 
like a long egg-shell, narrowed at the end into a passage so steep and slippery, 
that in order to make any progress at all, Faith was compelled to drop to her 
hands and knees. The tunnel led up and back into the hillside, until it 
reached the height of the upper cleft, from which there filtered in a thin 
streak of light. 

“How much further are we going?” she gasped. 

“It is only a short climb now,” the elves answered in chorus, “Don't 
stop till we tell you.” 


50 


Once Upon a Time 


And drawing a deep breath, the little girl stumbled on in silence, around 
a turn to the right into absolute darkness. 

“Whoa!” shouted all the elves, scampering down. 

“Make yourself comfortable,” Twink commanded. “This den is the end 
of the cave, and as far as you can come with us.” 

“But,” objected Faith firmly, “you promised to show me where you 

live.” 

“In a minute! In — a — minute! IN A MINUTE!” snapped the elf in 
such an angry voice that the little girl hastened to beg his pardon. 

“Oh, do be quiet!” he answered, still very much ruffled. And, Faith, 
who discovered she was on level floor, felt about until she was at the far end 
of a little, round room. 

“WeTl have to wait for the others. They have the bugle,” Twink said 
to his comrades. “We may as well sit down till they come.” 

His companions must have agreed with him and have settled themselves 
for soon the little girl could hear nothing but the beating of her heart. 

In the stillness it sounded like the muffled thumping of a drum. Or was 
there a drum? She listened more carefully and before long she could dis- 
tinguish a far away rub-adub-dub, quite plainly. With it came also the tread 
of many wee feet marching in through the outer chamber. “Tramp, Tramp!” 
they came nearer and nearer! Now they were breaking step and were in the 
tunnel ascending toward her! And Twink and the elves with him were stirring. 

By this time the little girl was so curious that her eyes ached from try- 
ing to see. “If only I had a match!” she thought, and just at that very second, 
two short, clear notes rang out! Three times they were repeated! And as 
the last echo of the last note of the last call died away, a light burst through 
a little jagged opening, high in the wall, and fell full upon the large crowd 
of elf-men beneath it, at the edge of the Den. 

This opening was so small that the elves were obliged to go in singly, on 
their stomachs. Even then, the plumpest ones, like Twink, had a very tight 


The Adventures of Freedom and Faith 


51 


squeeze. He was the last to enter. When he had pulled in the grass rope by 
which they had all climbed up, he stuck out his head and beckoned to the little 
girl. 

She was just tall enough when she stood on tip-toe to look through the 
hole. Within she saw a miniature hall of such splendor that it might have 
been the carefully wrought model for some feudal castle. 

At one end, blazed a hearth fire around which the elves who had been 
at work in the spring sprawled and joked, while they dried their brown doub- 
lets. Beyond, through an archway, she caught sight of a dazzling ballroom. 
Its walls were covered with grains of salt which glittered like diamonds. And 
to her astonishment, she saw many elf-women gorgeously attired. Most of 
them were waltzing gaily with smiling partners. She asked Twink why she 
had never heard of these ladies of the Elfin Kingdom. 

“What no one sees, no one believes; what no one believes, no one sees,” 
the little man told her. 

“But why does no one see them?” she persisted. “Don’t they ever step 
outside this fortress?” 

“The elfin lass is dainty and wee, the Valley is big as big can be,” he 
answered, as if he were quoting from something. 

The little girl thought it was very foolish of him to keep repeating 
jingles, instead of giving her a simple answer and stopped talking to him to 
follow the movements of an elf making very charming love to his little sweet- 
heart, with whom he strolled into an enclosed garden where a tiny fountain 
scattered its spray among dainty flowers. 

Faith was trying to see what they were when Twink, who was never 
interested in anything for long at a time and was beginning to be tired of 
her, said suddenly, “You’ve seen enough!” And before she could wink an 
eyelash, she was blinking into a shallow, empty nitch from which the light 
slowly faded until she was once more in darkness. 


Ill 

Faith 5 8 Adventure With the Hama~drgads 

When Faith realized that she was all alone in the Cave, she felt very 
frightened. A second band of elves returned from the Spring and she wanted 
dreadfully to ask one of them to lead her to the fairies, but all the little men 
looked so cross and tired that she didn’t dare speak to them. Instead, she 
huddled closer into the corner and waited until the Cave was empty. Then 
she half slid, half climbed down to the entrance. 

Everywhere she looked the trees were so mighty and the undergrowth 
so tangled that the jungle seemed as wild and silent as the deepest forest. 
So she was very much surprised to discover a little path, which, after winding 
through a group of giant rocks, disappeared into the heart of the green wilder- 
ness. Faith decided she would follow it in the hope that it might lead to the 
outskirts of the dingle. 

To be sure, she could easily have found the spring, but even if Windflower 
could have told her how to go to the Grotto, she could never have used the 
sylph’s directions; the tangle was much too thick. 

“You needn’t try to pretend,” she told herself sternly, “You’re lost. But 
you’re NOT scared. So there!” 

And talking this way out loud to keep up her courage, she went as far 
as the huge rocks. Right against the most gigantic one stood a great elm 
that towered high above them. It was so large that the little girl stopped 
to see if the trunks of two trees had grown together. For a moment she 
forgot how unhappy she was, and thought what fun it would be, if only Free- 
dom were with her, to play hide-and-go-seek there or to climb on top of the 
rocks, and to leap from one to another. 

“I don’t care,” she said when she remembered her troubles. “I don’t 
care. If he likes that old Princess better than me, he can stay with her for- 
ever. I can play by myself, I’d lots rather.” 

Yet, somehow, a lump began to rise in her throat. She tried hard to 


The Adventures of Freedom and Faith 


53 


swallow it, but it grew bigger and bigger until one after another the sobs 
came tumbling out. She leaned against the tree then and cried as hard as 
ever she could. “I hate him!” she stormed, “I hate him!” 

In her anger she did a very naughty thing: she stamped her foot and 
at the same time with her little fist she STRUCK THE ELM! Instantly, the 
trunk flew open and before Faith had time to realize what had happened she 
lost her balance and, pitching forward into the tree, bumped straight into a 
tall, stately maiden. 

“Oh, please excuse me,” she panted. “Please excuse me. I fell in so 
fast, I couldn’t stop.” 

“What is it, Hama?” called a soft, muffled voice. “Who has entered?” 

“It seems to be a little girl, sister,” the Tree-lady answered. 

“A human child? Impossible! However could a human child have found 
the way into our elm?” 

“Perhaps,” suggested Hama, “one of the wood-nymphs opened it for her. 
Did she, my dear?” 

Faith shook her head. “I-I-just r-r-rapped on the trunk,” she faltered 
for she was afraid the Tree-lady was going to ask her more questions, and she 
did not want to be obliged to tell how she had lost her temper. 

“She must have touched by accident THE MAGIC HEART OF BARK” 
said Hama, quietly closing the elm. “Anyway, sister, she is a nice, little thing 
and her being here can do us no harm. I shouldn’t wonder if she were the 
child the fairies keep to play with their Rock Boy.” 

“Yes, I am!” Faith cried happily. “And I know what you are,” she 

added. 

“What am I?” smiled Hama. 

“You are a dryad. Aren’t you?” 

“Sister!” the hidden voice interrupted again. “I should like to see the 
Little Mortal myself.” 

“I’ll push her under the fork of the tree,” said Hama, and Faith received 
a gentle shove which did indeed send her into the other big half of the elm, 
where a second maiden who was even taller and more stately than the first 
one, regarded her with mild curiosity. 


54 


Once Upon a Time 


“How-do-you-do V* said Faith politely. 

This seemed to puzzle the dryad. “How do I do, WHAT?” she ques- 
tioned. 

“I-I mean,” stammered the little girl, “I mean, how are you feeling?” 

“Very sound and healthy, thank you,” was the unexpected answer. “My 
leaves are green and new twigs are growing. However, it is very thoughtful 
of you to inquire. Hama spoke truly when she said you were a nice little 
thing.” 

“I think your sister is just perfectly lovely!” Faith confided. “And she 
has the sweetest name. Is yours as pretty?” 

“It is the same,” the dryad answered. 

“The very same?” repeated Faith bewildered. 

“Certainly. When I am speaking to her, she would scarcely be speaking 
to me.” 

“But Freedom and I talk at the same time to each other,” the little girl 
argued. 

“Then you are both very rude children,” returned the dryad. 

“How long do you intend to keep the Little Mortal?” demanded the other 

Hama. 

“You may have her now,” the Taller Dryad answered, and Faith felt 
herself being pushed a second time under the fork of the elm. 

“I’m glad I’m back here again,” she ventured shyly to the first Tree-Lady. 
“You’re so different from your sister! It seems funny you should both be 
named the same. I should think you’d get all mixed up, when other people 
talked to you.” 

“Well, you see,” smiled Hama, “we are always spoken to, together. And 
besides, those of us who live in great oaks and elms like this one, are far too 
busy for much conversation. We are not like the careless creatures who in- 
habit the smaller trees and leave them, for hours at a time, to lounge and 
gossip.” 

It was well the elm was such a large one, for with three people inside 
there wasn’t much room to spare. Indeed the Hamas kept their wonderful 


The Adventures of Freedom and Faith 


55 


brown hair out of their way. It was combed in a sweeping curve from their 
soft, white necks and caught up into the many twigs and branches. Faith 
decided this was the reason the sisters stood so still, but after a while she 
made a marvelous discovery. From their girdles to the ground, the rich, heavy 
folds of their beautiful robes were part of the soft, yellow elmwood. 

“Oh,” cried the little girl who did not realize what an unkind thing 
she was saying, “you are prisoners, aren’t you?” 

A lovely smile transfigured the calm face of the Gentler Dryad. “No, 
not prisoners, but the heart and soul of the elm,” she answered. 

“The little maid asks too many questions,” called the Taller Hama. “I 
wish you would send her on her homeward journey. It is never well for mor- 
tals to linger too long in enchanted valleys.” 

“But she has only been here a few moments, sister,” returned the 
Gentler Dryad. “Perhaps she does not wish to leave us just yet.” 

“Oh, no! I can’t go until Freedom comes for me,” cried Faith in great 
consternation. 

“Why not?” asked the same Hama. “Tell me just how you came into 
the jungle. Perhaps I can help you.” 

Faith obediently began her story but she had not gone very far when 
the Taller Hama whispered, “Hush! Some one is about to enter. Hide be- 
tween us, Little Mortal.” 

Even as she spoke, a light rap sounded upon the Gentler Hama’s half of 
the tree-trunk. The elm opened wide and there stood before them the most 
gorgeous Peacock it is possible to imagine. Indeed his whole bearing was so 
proud and majestic that there was no mistaking the fact that he considered 
himself to be a person of the very greatest importance. 

Evidently the dryads thought so, too, for they exclaimed together, “The 
Lord of the Forest does us much honor!” and the Taller One added: “My sister 
is most fortunate to be able to see Your Magnificent Lordship.” 

“A steady growth and a long one be yours, Hama, Hama,” he replied 
not unkindly. Yet there was a harsh note in his voice which frightened the 
little girl so that she shrank back into the part of the elm farthest from him. 


56 


Once Upon a Time 


His keen ears caught the rustle of her dress and turning his attention 
in the direction from which the sound came, he instantly discovered Faith. 

“Who is your guest?” he asked, staring at the little girl with eyes that 
held an angry glitter. 

“Your Lordship,” said the Taller Hama. “We have had a strange ex- 
perience. A human child has entered unannounced and wishes to stay until 
the Rock Boy finds her.” 

“Now, by my Resplendent Feathers!” cried the Peacock. “This is a 
pretty situation!!! What will become of our woodland secrets if mortals are 
allowed to run in and out of our trees whenever it pleases them? Soon there 
will be no hiding places left us. Then what will become of my people?” 

“There is really no reason for Your Lordship to fear this dear little 
girl,” the Gentler Dryad assured him. “We have told her nothing, and even 
if we had, the fairies trust her. If only you will send a wood-nymph to guide 
her, she will be glad to return at once to their Grotto.” 

“I will do nothing of the sort!” he snapped. “Hama, Hama, I am amazed 
at you. If the fairies are so foolish as to let that child come and go as she 
chooses, I at least, shall keep my senses. Since she is already in my forest, 
she shall stay here. Until I decide what to with her, she will remain with 
you.” And before either of the dryads could answer, he had closed the elm — 
there was a quick tap, and retreating footsteps told of his departure. 

“Oh, dear” said Faith, her lips quivering. “I do hope he won’t come 
back before Freedom has time to find me.” 

“You are quite safe for several hours,” soothed the Gentler Hama. 
“His Lordship gives a great banquet tonight in honor of Sylvia, the wood- 
nymph, and it is not likely he will even think of you again, until after the 
festival.” 

“But he might/!” cried the little girl. “I’m going out into the jungle 
and hide some place where he can’t find me.” 

“My dear child,” said the Taller Dryad, “you don’t seem to understand 
what has happened. Our Monarch has commanded us to hold you captive. 
His word is law in this forest.” 


The Adventures of Freedom and Faith 


57 


“Nevertheless,” declared the Gentler Hama, “I shall disobey him. Have 
you forgotten, Sister, into what his anger changed the son of the Rainbow 
Princess and Frost King? Rather than let him treat this dear little girl in 
the same fashion I will endure any punishment.” 

“My dear Hama,” returned the more stately sister, “You are merely 
wasting words, for His Lordship has bewitched the elm. I heard him tap 
it with his wand.” 

With a little cry the Gentler Dryad placed her fingers against the inside 
of THE MAGIC HEART OF BARK and pressed and pressed upon it. But the 
tree trunk did not open. 

“How dared he!” she repeated over and over. “How dared he! Such 
an insult has never before been offered to a dryad of this Forest.” 

“He dared,” the Taller Hama replied calmly, “because he is our ruler. 
After all, he is much wiser than we are.” 

“I don’t care!” cried Faith, bravely. “Freedom’ll make the wicked, old 
Peacock let me out. You see if he doesn’t.” 

At that both the dryads stopped talking and seemed to be thinking so 
very hard that Faith felt it would be most impolite to disturb them. There 
was nothing for her to do but to move from one half of the trunk to the other, 
and every moment she grew more and more frightened; and thirsty. Oh, so 
thirsty! At last she could endure it no longer. 

“Please may I have a drink of water?” she begged. 

“Not unless it rains,” said the first dryad. “Pm so sorry.” 

Faith breathed a deep sigh. “I wish Freedom’d hurry,” she murmured. 
“Perhaps he NEVER WILL find me.” 

“There, dear,” whispered the Gentler Sister, “don’t lose your courage.” 

After that they all three lapsed into silence and just stood and waited 
and waited and stood and stood and waited and waited and waited and waited 
and stood. 


IV 

Freedom's Adventure With the Rainbow Princess 

Meanwhile, Freedom’s long dive had brought him to the head of a noble 
staircase that led down under the Falls into the courtyard of a magnificent 
palace. It was built of countless rainbows, which the water-sprites had 
gathered when the Sun shone on the ripples, and beneath the high arch of 
its doorway the Rock Boy saw a nymph whose draperies were of softest blue 
and fleecy white. 

“Enter, Freedom,” she murmured, “I am Cloud-in-the-Stream, sent by 
Her Gracious Highness to conduct you into her presence!” And flitting oh 
ahead, she led him through water as clear as air, into the great audience- 
chamber, where the Princess sat enthroned upon a wide crystal dais. 

The little Rock Boy had never before seen anyone so dazzling. Her 
robe of snow-white foam gleamed with myriad rainbow gems. Glistening 
drops of liquid light — ruby, topaz, emerald, sapphire, and amethyst — formed 
a jeweled diadem about her head, and held in place the soft veil of mist that 
fell over her long golden hair to her feet which were thrust into sandals of 
mother-of-pearl. And of pearl too was her scepter — it was a mermaid’s gift. 

About her on the dais clustered seven nymphs, each in a different color 
of the rainbow. Those on her right wore red, orange and yellow. The three 
on her left, blue, indigo and violet. And at her feet one fingered a harp 
fashioned from a fallen branch that had been dipped in silver moonlight 
and strung with reeds as green and shimmering as her garments. 

“That is Concordia” whispered Cloud, “She is not a naiad like the rest 
of us. We are all just stream-maidens but she came from the deep sea with 
the Princess.” 

“Yes, I know,” said Freedom, “Once she visited our Grotto and played 
and sang for us.” 

“His words reached Concordia who gave him a smile and a nod as he 
approached the dais. Somehow he felt very small, but he held himself as 
straight as an arrow and tried not to forget even for a moment that he was 


The Adventures of Freedom and Faith 


59 


going to be a giant. Besides, although the Princess was tall, she looked as 
kind as she was radiant. 

When he was quite close to her, she held out her hand to him. He 
touched her finger-tips with his lips, then he remembered the greeting the 
Wind had taught him to use when he could not think of anything else. 

“May the Sun always follow the Rain, Your Highness,” he said in a 
soft, serious voice. 

The Princess was moved by his grave, quaint manner, and drawing him 
toward her, she tenderly kissed his forehead. “Dear child,” she murmured, 
“We thank you for your gracious wish. You remind us of our own little son 
before his terrible misfortune. Perhaps you may have heard of him. He is 
called the Rainbow Frost Prince.” 

“Oh! yes,” said Freedom, “The Wind has often told me of His Highness.” 

“Then you know,” she went on, “how the cruel Lord of the Forest forced 
him to go to the Land of Human Beings. Alas! There, he has been com- 
pelled to assume a form not his own and even worse — has fallen under an 
evil Spell that keeps him captive, except for a few hours each night between 
the new and waning Moon.” 

“Can’t you ever set him free again?” the little boy asked gently. 

“Who can say,” returned the Princess. “We hope and plan both day 
and night, but as yet, neither we, with all our power, nor his Father, the 
Frost King, have been able to do anything.” 

Just at that moment there was a stir at the far end of the room. “Make 
way!” some one called, “Make way! the Prince comes!” 

At the shout more than a hundred nymphs floated into two rainbow 
colored groups leaving between them an open space that stretched from the 
ante-chamber to the foot of the throne. Down this aisle there drifted a 
splendid young Swan. 

The whole throng bent low before him and hailed him as he passed 
with cries of “Long live the Rainbow Frost Prince! Long life to Your 
Highness!” 

“Long life to my Mother’s loyal subjects!” he answered in such a gay 
winning voice that Freedom liked him at once. 

As the Swan neared the dais, the Princess rose to receive him and, when 


60 


Once Upon a Time 


pausing in front of the lowest step, he bowed his proud head until it rested 
upon the crystal, she descended swiftly and touched him with her scepter. 

“Rise, Prince,” she commanded, as formally as if she were speaking to 
a stranger. “Rise, Prince! I also bid you welcome.” Then, turning toward 
Freedom, who still stood just where she had left him, she motioned to him 
with a gracious gesture, and smiling down into the Swan’s bright, wondering 
eyes, she added, “Your Royal Highness, I present to you the Fairies’ Chang- 
ing, Child of the Rain and Wind and Sun, the Regal Boy whom they have sworn 
the make the mightiest of Kings.” 

The two little princes bowed very solemnly to each other, quite as if 
they were both grown up, and the Swan said cordially, “I have long wished 
to know the Rock Boy.” 

“Have you?” exclaimed Freedom, entirely forgetting that he was at 
Court. “I’ve wanted to know you, too.” 

With a wave of her hand, the Princess dismissed her attendants. “I 
wish to be alone with the Prince and his guest,” she told them. 

As soon as the last of her naiads had vanished, she held out her arms 
to the Swan who swam straight into them. “My son!” she murmured, her 
cheek against his snowy feathers. “My very own son ! I would give my life 
to see you become yourself again!” 

“I know you would,” returned the Prince, “but, Mother darling, I don’t 
mind being a Swan nearly as much as I used to. I give you my word I don’t.” 

Once I thought it would be lots of fun to be one,” observed Freedom. 
“Of course, that was when I was very little, before I knew what being be- 
witched really meant.” 

“It is pretty hard sometimes,” admitted the Swan, “hard enough to 
make you want to take good care that the same thing doesn’t happen to you. 
It might, you know, if you ever made the Peacock angry.” 

“Let us trust he never will,” smiled the Princess, who was delighted 
to see how rapidly the lads were becoming acquainted. “But come, dear, we 
are not thinking of the little Rock Boy’s pleasure. I am sure he must want 
a frolic. Let us go into my Stream-weed Bower.” 

There Freedom found a ball of twisted grasses. With a cry he darted 
after it and threw it to the Swan who caught it deftly in his bill and tossed 


The Adventures of Freedom and Faith 


61 


it quickly back again. The next moment they were deep in the merriest game 
the Princess had seen His Royal Highness enjoy since his misfortune. 

Half reclining upon a couch of rushes, she watched their wild free 
capers. Often her happy laughter mingled with theirs and when they grew 
tired, and came to sit beside her, she told them rainbow-stories until they 
were quite rested. 

As they sprang again to their mad antics, a host of water-sprites made 
haste to join them and, during the long romp that followed, the Swan was 
always so courageous and strong that a daring thought entered the Rock Boy’s 
mind. Perhaps he could help the Prince break the enchantment which bound 
himl Of course he had to wait until the frisky little sprites had gone before 
he could ask the Swan any questions, but as soon as they were once more alone, 
he immediately began: 

“How long can you stay home?” 

“Until daybreak,” replied the Swan. 

“Where do you go then?” 

“Freedom,” said the Prince, “by the law of the Spell I am under, if I 
tell you, I can’t leave there again, and, anyway, if I could tell you, I wouldn’t, 
because, if you did come, you yourself might be turned into something.” 

“I’m very strong,” the Rock Boy answered simply. 

“I know, but you may not be strong enough to resist the enchantment 
that befalls faerie creatures when they venture into the Land of Human Beings.” 

“I’m not afraid even of human beings,” Freedom insisted. “Faith’s 
one and I play with her all the time.” 

“Faith?” echoed the Swan. “Who is Faith? Tell me, Freedom.” 

But the Rock Boy scarcely heard what his new friend was saying for 
he had suddenly remembered that the little girl must have been waiting for 
hours, and hastily telling the Prince and his mother, why he had to leave 
them, he dashed out of the Palace, ran up the stairs and came to the surface 
a short distance below the Falls. His hand touched something rough. It 
was a piece of the little canoe which the whirlpool had shattered upon the rocks. 


V 

Freedom ’s Adventure With the Enchanted Peacock 


When Freedom saw the broken bark, he swam with all his might down 
the Stream. A dreadful fear tried to push its way into his thoughts, but he 
would not let himself believe even for a moment that Faith might be drowned. 
To be sure, she was very awkward in the water, but there were so many faerie 
folk along the Stream and in it, that he felt almost certain someone must have 
rescued her. Yet no answer came back to his desperate cry of “Faith! Oh, 
Faith!! Where are you ?” 

He had already passed the Spring when he met a water-sprite who told 
him how the Sylph had helped the little girl ashore. But instead of being 
relieved when he heard she was with Windflower, Freedom felt even more 
anxious, for he knew how near the Elves’ Cave was to the Spring. And surely 
enough, when he sprang upon the grassy bank, the Lovely Lady said that Faith 
had left, long ago, with Twink. 

By this time the little boy had been thinking of all the mean things the 
elves might do to his friend, until he was now thoroughly frightened. So he 
ran as fast as he could to the Cave, dashed through the outer fortress to the 
tunnel and scrambled up into the Den. It was empty. 

Without pausing, he pursed his lips, and imitated the bugle signal that 
the little men used. Instantly, the secret door flew open, and, as luck would 
have it, the head and shoulders that appeared belonged to Twink. Freedom 
plucked him out between a none too gentle thumb and finger and held him 
squirming while he demanded: 

“Where is Faith?” 

“Don’t know. Hours since she left.” 

“Who went with her?” 

“With that great big thing?” scoffed the elf. “No one. Put me down. 
Put me DOWN, I tell you!” and he began to make wicked faces at Freedom. 


The Adventures of Freedom and Faith 


63 


The Rock Boy was tempted to stay and give the rascal a shaking, but 
as every moment was precious, and as he judged from T wink’s surly remarks 
that when the little girl had left the Cave she had still been unhurt, he poked 
back the elf-man, and hurried down into the Forest, where he was now certain 
Faith must be hidden. 

At first he wandered, whistling and shouting through the Tangle. When 
he had been from one end of it to the other, without an answer, he began to 
knock at every tree-trunk. But he found most of them deserted for — so the 
few dryads who were at home explained to him — nearly all the woodland folk 
were at the Willows, feasting with their Monarch. 

At last the little boy decided that the quickest way to learn what had 
become of Faith would be to go straight to the Peacock and beg His Haughty 
Lordship to help him search the Forest. 

Accordingly, he hastened in the direction of the festival. But he had 
not gone far when someone called, “Greetings of mid-summer, Freedom! 
Whither are you going?” And looking up he saw Sylvia, the Peacock’s favorite 
wood-nymph coming toward him. 

“I’m going to see His Lordship,” the Rock Boy panted. “Why aren’t 
you at the banquet?” 

Sylvia tossed her pretty auburn head. “You may well ask,” she an- 
swered, “since the whole affair is in my honor. The truth is, His Lordship 
and I have had a dreadful quarrel over a stupid little mortal.” 

“A little mortal,” echoed Freedom. “It’s Faith! I know it’s Faith! 
Where is she?” 

“Shut up with the Hama-dryads,” sighed the wood-nymph. 

“In the Double Elm, of THE MAGIC HE ART r 

“Yes. His Lordship has bewitched it and swears that we must keep 
the child. I tried to show him how unsafe it would be to have a human being 
live in our Forest, but he only flew into the most outrageous temper. Heigho! 
I sometimes wonder why I love him!” she finished to herself. 


64 


Once Upon a Time 


“He shan't keep Faith,” the Rock Boy muttered, and even as he spoke, 
he darted off. 

With light footsteps Sylvia swiftly overtook him. “Foolish little lad,” 
she chided, laying a firm hand on his shoulder, “Wait! Wait just a moment!” 

Reluctantly the child obeyed. “Listen, Freedom,” she went on, “what 
has happened once may happen again. And tonight the Forest's Lord is in an 
evil mood. He may treat you as he did the Rainbow Frost Prince.” 

“He wouldn’t dare,” said Freedom. “He knows who I am. My friends 
are lots stronger than the Princess or the Frost King.” 

The wood-nymph gave a little shrug. “Do not deceive yourself,” she 
counseled, “His Lordship is so vain that he fears absolutely nothing.” 

For just a moment the Rock Boy wavered. All his life he had been 
taught to fear the Peacock. Then he squared his sturdy shoulders. “I don’t 
care,” he almost shouted. “Even if he does banish me so I'll be enchanted, 
I'm going to make him give Faith back.” 

“Oh, very well,” said Sylvia calmly, “I’ve done my best to save you.” 

Freedom did not pause to answer. In and out among the tangled under- 
brush he wound his way, flashed across the open space beyond it, and scram- 
bled through the dense green growth that half hid the Willows. 

The two long rows of mighty trees grew in a stately, curving avenue, 
their branches intertwining overhead and at the sides, forming such a leafy 
arbor that it was no wonder the Peacock held it dearer than any spot in all 
his realm. And tonight it was gay with happy nymphs who lounged and 
tripped and ate to the lilting measures of sweet woodland pipes and flutes. 
For the festival was at its height when Freedom broke in upon it. 

The Lord of the Forest saw him at once. “Shades of my Glorious Plum- 
age,” he cried, “what does the Rock Boy want?” 


“I want my Faith!” 


The Adventures of Freedom and Faith 


65 


“How now!” exclaimed the Peacock, “have you forgotten all your 
manners? Remember, sir, to whom you speak.” 

“I haven’t time to be polite,” gasped Freedom. “That little girl you’ve 
shut up in the Hamas’ Elm is visiting the fairies and I must take her to them 
right away!” 

“Hey-dey!” cried His Lordship, “not so fast! Not quite so fast! The 
fairies shall never have her again. I have made up my mind to give her a 
potion that will make her forget her own land. Then I shall have her taught 
to wait upon my wood-nymphs.” 

“Oh she couldn’t,” said the Rock Boy, “she’s too little.” 

“Indeed” snapped the Peacock, “then we’ll leave her in the tree-trunk 
until she is big enough. See here, I respect the Rain and the Wind and the 
Sun and would not care to bring harm to you, but I intend to keep this Faith 
child. What I do with her is no concern of yours. So be off, before you vex 
me too much,” and in his excitement he began to strut. 

“Take care,” cried Freedom, as the splendid tail caught in a low-hung 
branch. 

“You like my plumes?” asked the Peacock. 

“They are beautiful,” replied the Rock Boy. 

“Beautiful?” exclaimed His Lordship. “They are wonderful! Gorgeous!! 
Magnificent!!! Magic!!!! They are the wands with which I bewitch the 
trees of my Forest!” 

Now Freedom was a child of the open and was, therefore, accustomed 
to act without thinking. So, before the Peacock could utter a single scream, 
he had plucked the longest plume and had dashed away with it. 


VI 

Freedom s Adventure With the Wind and the Rain 

Once Freedom had the magic feather in his hand it was a very easy 
matter for him to return to the Tangle, but there a new difficulty arose, for 
he came so seldom to this part of the Forest that he could not remember where 
the Double Elm was, and in the pale moonlight all the great trees looked 
alike to him. Indeed, he might have missed it altogether if, just at that 
moment, Faith’s big dog had not come bounding out of the thicket. 

“Why, Spike!” cried the Rock Boy, “whatever are you doing here? I 
thought you were in the Grotto.” 

For answer the good beast gave a low, deep whine that said as plainly 
as words, “Little master, something’s wrong. I’m glad you’ve come,” and, 
seeing that the Rock Boy understood him, he started off through the under- 
brush at, a brisk trot. 

Freedom followed him as swiftly as he could and presently they reached 
the tree in which Faith was imprisoned. There Spike gave several quick 
excited barks and began to scratch with his great paws upon the trunk. 

How the splendid fellow had ever happened to trace his little mistress 
to this spot, Freedom could not possibly imagine. And, of course, Spike could 
not tell him. But the boy saw at once that the Elm was the double one he had 
been seeking. 

“Just you wait until I find THE MAGIC HEART,” he exclaimed, giving 
his dumb friend a loving pat. “Then I can open the tree in a minute! Oh, 
won’t Faith be glad to get out!” 

But no sooner had he begun to search for it than he heard a voice at 
his elbow. 

“Give me back my plume, you young thief,” and there stood the Peacock. 
He had chased Freedom all the way from the Willows and had only just now 
caught up with him. 


The Adventures of Freedom and Faith 


67 


“I will, but you’ll have to open the tree first,” Freedom answered. 

“I’ll banish you to — to — to — ” 

“To — to — to — ” mimicked the Rock Boy, as his strong little fingers 
closed around the slender, shiny throat. “To where? I could choke you just as 
easy, and I won’t take my hand off your neck until you show me THE MAGIC 
HEART. Lie down, Spike,’ he added, for the great dog had begun to growl 
fiercely. “The Lord of the Forest can’t hurt me and I don’t want you to 
leave that Elm until I tell you.” 

The faithful animal lay down obediently against the tree, but his watch- 
ful eyes never left the Peacock, and as the latter made no move to do as the 
boy had ordered, the dog bared his teeth angrily. Freedom, too, became im- 
patient. 

“You better be quick,” he warned. “If you don’t point out THE MAGIC 
HEART pretty soon, you’ll be sorry.” 

“Whee — oo — ! !” whistled the Wind, who had been rushing by when 
Freedom began to speak to the Peacock, and had paused to hear their con- 
versation. “Whee — oo — !! Release the Master of the Forest! You forget 
yourself, Freedom.” 

“He’s an old tyrant,” the boy muttered sullenly. But he did as the 
Wind had commanded. 

The Peacock shook himself and spread his tail, walked a few steps to 
make sure he was really unharmed, then completely ignoring Freedom, ad- 
dressed himself to the Wind: 

“Ha!” he sputtered. “I must say it is high time that Rock Boy left 
this Valley. His strength is increasing so rapidly that he is far too dangerous 
to have about.” 

“Freedom is never dangerous, unless you try to abuse him,” the Wind 
returned very stiffly. “However, he will ask your pardon and return your 
plume.” 

“No, I won’t!” said the boy. “Not until he lets Faith out.” 


68 


Once Upon a Time 


The Wind gave the child a rough shake. “Obey me, Freedom,” he 
ordered. 

“Are you strong enough to open the Elm without tearing it apart?” the 
little boy asked. 

“Of course not,” roared the Wind, who was fast losing his temper. 
“Will you do as I tell you?” and he tried to blow the plume out of Freedom’s 
hand, but the Rock Boy held it too tightly. 

“SS — sss!” hissed the Element, now in a fury, and in another moment 
Freedom was forced to fight desperately with all his strength. He was whipped 
and buffetted and beaten; still he clung to his treasure. 

Just when he was so tired that it seemed to him he could not struggle 
a second longer, he heard the Rain coming toward him. She was preceded 
by a million of her sprites who prepared the ground for her approach. A 
billion more supported the canopy of cloud beneath which, surrounded and 
followed by legion upon legion of her subjects, she swept downward to the 
earth. 

“Since when,” she demanded, “has the Powerful Wind made it his 
business to direct his fierce strength against a helpless child, who cannot 
defend himself?” 

“Helpless child!” the angry Element mocked. “I find him able to with- 
stand Me! Let us see, Madam, if he will return, at your command, the magic 
plume which he has stolen!” 

“Whose plume is it?” she exclaimed. “Surely you can’t mean that he 
has taken one of those belonging to the Peacock?” 

“That is just what I do mean,” blustered the Wind, “and now he defies 
ME — ME, a World Element!” 

“Let me talk to him,” suggested the Rain in a gentle undertone. And, 
turning to the child, she said, “Please give the plume back to the Peacock. 
Really, Freedom, you have no right to keep it.” 

“Yes, I have,” contradicted the Rock Boy, “just as much right as he 
had to shut Faith up in the tree. Can’t you make him open it?” 


The Adventures of Freedom and Faith 


69 


“No, dear, “murmured the Rain, “of course not. The tree belongs to 
the Lord of the Forest.” And, seeing that all her persuasion could not move 
the child, she began to sob softly. 

This made the boy feel very unhappy, for, somehow, her tears were 
harder to bear than all the Wind’s raging. He even loosened, for a moment, 
his hold upon the precious feather. Then he remembered that if he once 
lost it, Faith might never escape from her prison, and clasping the plume 
more firmly, he dug one little foot into the soft mud and shook his head. 

“I’ll never, never give it up,” he gasped. “Never, never, never!” 

“Well, then, keep it,” snapped the Peacock. “It is not my old wand. I 
doubt very much if you can use it. You will find THE MAGIC HEART is safely 
hidden. At any rate, I have no more time to linger in the Valley. The day 
will soon be breaking,” and with a great flourish of his tail, he stalked off in 
the direction of the Willows. 

Freedom sprang forward to detain him and the great dog lept up to 
go along, but the Wind whirled so suddenly upon the child that he stumbled 
and fell. 

“Oh, do be gentle with the boy,” urged the Rain. “He is very little, 
and if he disobeys, it is to save his friend.” 

“My dear Madam,” stormed the Wind, “Freedom needs a lesson, and 
I shall teach it to him. I was just about to conquer him when you came. If 
you had not interfered, he would have returned the plume. Then I myself 
would have asked the Peacock to open the Elm.” 

“I am so sorry,” murmured the Rain, “but I scarcely think His Lordship 
would have done so, even at your command. He is very stubborn about some 
things.” 

At that the Wind assumed his most chilling manner. “Allow me to have 
my own opinion,” he insisted. 

“Very well,” returned the Rain, “but the time has come when we 
must hold a council to decide concerning Freedom’s future. Tomorrow, 


70 


Once Upon a Time 


perhaps, sometime toward evening. Any wandering swallow can bring me 
word. Meanwhile, I beg you to remember that the child is not entirely your 
own. Come, my dainty sprites,” she added, “raise my canopy. We will depart 
for our own kingdom.” 

And by the time the little boy was once more upon his feet, only the 
rear guard of her train remained to sparkle up at him. 

He braced himself, near Spike, against the Elm and faced the Wind. 
Just at that moment the Sun burst upon them. 

One glance at the angry Element and the defiant child showed him that 
there was serious trouble. 

“Cheer up, Comrade,” he called to the Wind, “I see you have found out 
for yourself how our boy is growing. I said a month ago that he needed to 
be controlled by a firmer hand than that of the fairies. Don’t punish him this 
time. Before the Moon begins to wane, he shall choose amongst us and begin 
his giant’s training.” 

Then, smiling down upon Freedom, he asked: “What are you going to 
do with the Peacock’s beautiful plume on this nice, fine morning?” 

“I want to open the Elm,” said the boy, “but I can’t find THE MAGIC 

heart:’ 

“You haven’t looked since I came,” smiled the Sun. And he cast down 
a bright beam that fell on one lichen which seemed looser than the others. 

Underneath it was the tiny heart of bark. 

Giving a shout of victory, Freedom touched it with the tip of the plume. 
At once the Elm opened wide and both he and Spike peered in. 

“Faith!” cried the boy. “Faith! Here I am!” 

Put no answer came back for Faith had gone. 


VII 

The Children ’s Adventure with the Funny Old Gnome 

Yes, Faith had gone! There was no doubt about that, but where the 
Rock Boy could not even guess, for he could think of no one who could have 
opened the Elm, and he knew that it was impossible to get out of it, into the 
Forest so long as it was bewitched. Yet gone the little girl certainly was, 
and tired from the storm, the stately Hama-dryads slumbered as calmly as if 
nothing had happened. It was some time before Freedom could even rouse 
them. 

But at last the Gentler Sister murmured drowsily, “Does someone call?” 

“Yes, it is I, Freedom,” answered the Rock Boy. “Where is the mortal 
child who was here?” 

“Knock on the back wall of the tree-trunk between Hama and myself,” 
the dryad directed in the same sleepy voice. And the little boy hastened to 
do so. 

Spike thrust his great head into the Elm, and as Freedom began first 
to knock, then to pound and shout with all his might, the dog barked as loudly 
as he could. And presently a cracked voice said fussily, “Tut, tut, tut! Tut, 
tut, tut! Don’t make such a racket! I’m coming. I say, I’m coming! Well, 
now, wait a minute, can’t you? Here you are!” 

There was a sound of a bolt being shot back and a low door in the 
tree was opened by the strangest old gnome. He came no higher than Free- 
dom’s waist and his kind little face was lined with wrinkles. 

“Come in! Come in!” he invited. “But take good care you don’t bring 
your beast with you! I’m so Sorry, so sorry,” he added to the dog, for Spike 
was wriggling on his stomach toward the doorway determined to follow Free- 
dom, who had almost upset the gnome as he brushed past him in his hurry to 
get through the low opening. 

The boy found himself in a quaint, pretty house, for the huge rock 


72 


Once Upon a Time 


against which the Double Elm stood and which from the outside looked so 
solid, was really hollow, and was furnished in the neatest fashion. Little 
tapers made of bees’ wax gave a soft light, a large mat of leaves covered the 
earthen floor, and there was a little stone table upon which a place was set. 
A little stone chair was drawn up to it and there was also, beside several other 
little stone chairs, a little stone cupboard, a little stone chest, and the most 
adorable little stone four-poster bed with a canopy and curtains of the finest 
moss. Freedom swiftly drew aside these curtains and there, with one little 
hand tucked under her cheek, lay Faith, fast asleep ! 

“Tut, tut, tut, tut!” cautioned the Gnome. “Be careful! I say, be careful! 
I have given her a potion, and you can’t awaken her unless you sprinkle her 
eyelids with this!” 

He took from the cupboard a little stone vial filled with a fragrant, 
purple liquid, which he handed to Freedom, who lost no time in sprinkling it 
over his little comrade. Almost at once she opened her eyes and the first 
thing she saw was the anxious face of the Rock Boy. 

“Oh, Freedom,” she murmured, “you did come for me !” 

“Of course! Why didn’t you wait for me?” 

“What made you stay so long?” she returned quickly. 

“Yes, yes, that’s what I want to know. I say, that’s what I want to 
know!” declared the Gnome. “Tut, tut! A child well brought up by the 
fairies to neglect a little friend in such a careless fashion.” 

“He didn’t neglect me!” contradicted Faith stoutly. “Don’t you dare 
to scold him!” And, sitting up, she gave Freedom a quick, impulsive hug. 

“Oh, ouch!” he exclaimed. 

“What is it?” begged Faith. 

“Nothing,” said the boy quickly. But the little girl saw, what in her 
joy she had not noticed before, that one of his arms hung limp at his side, 
and that his garments were torn and that from head to foot he was scratched 
and muddy. n 

8 


The Adventures of Freedom and Faith 


73 


“Freedom!” she exclaimed.' “What have you been doing?” 

“I’ve been fighting,” he answered shortly. 

“With the Peacock?” she questioned. 

“No — o,” he replied slowly, as if he were pondering. “I had to fight 
with my very best friends. And Faith, nobody has ever hurt me as much 
as they did!” 

“Tell me about it,” she coaxed. 

“Tut, tut, tut!” cried the Gnome, cheerily. “Food first and stories after! 
I say, food first and stories after! Come here to me at once, both of you. 
And each bring a little stone bowl and spoon from the cupboard and if you 
like you can bring an extra bowl for your big dog, too.” 

The little room in which he was bustling about was fashioned out of 
a smaller rock at the rear of the first one and seemed to be half workshop 
and half kitchen. There was a little stone forge, a little stone anvil and 
hammer, and a little stone stove. On the little stone stove, a little stone kettle 
of broth was brewing and into this the Gnome dipped a little stone ladle, 
with which he filled the children’s bowls, then one for the dog and last one 
for himself. 

“Now, you draw up a couple of chairs to the table and sit down while 
I feed your nice beast,” he ordered. 

But as soon as the door into the Tree was opened and Spike saw his 
little mistress, he looked at her so pleadingly that she ran over to him and 
put her cheek against his head. “Oh, please let him come in, dear Gnome,” 
she begged. 

“Well, there now, there now,” grumbled the funny old fellow. “I sup- 
pose I’ll have to. But mind, sir, he added, turning to the dog, “you’ll have 
to lie down and be very quiet. Be very quiet, I say!” 

For answer Spike licked the Gnome’s hand gratefully, and crawling 
through the doorway, walked carefully over to the table around which they 
were all soon seated with the dog beside Faith’s chair. 


74 


Once Upon a Time 


“There now! I say, isn’t this jolly?” chuckled the Gnome and both 
children smiled happily back at him. 

“I never knew you had such a nice, big house,” said Freedom. “I 
always thought you lived up at the stone quarry in Cedar Cliff.” 

“Just so, just so,” answered the Gnome. “The quarry was my home 
for many years, until the Lord of the Forest arranged with the King of the 
Gnomes to let me live here so that I could make His Lordship’s costumes. 
Even since he has become a Peacock I have so much to do, that I seldom 
leave this rock. For I continue to assist the wood-nymphs with their garments 
and besides that I concoct all the potions that are used in this Forest. There 
was a day when I did the same for the Princess and her naiads and I am 
proud to say that I have even exchanged charms with the King and Queen 
of the Fairies. Now there, there! That reminds me! I say, that reminds 
me! I have a charm to give you, little girl. I made it for you while you 
were asleep.” 

“Oh, let’s see it!” cried Freedom and Faith in one breath. 

“Not even a peep,” declared the Gnome firmly, “while a drop of that 
broth is left!” For he saw both the children were so excited that they 
had stopped eating. 

“Oh, I don’t want any more,” pleaded Faith, “truly I don’t! My Grand- 
mother gave me a magic drink before I left her, so I wouldn’t be hungry nor 
thirsty while I was gone.” 

“Tut, tut, tut!” laughed the Gnome merrily. “I guess you’ve been away 
longer than your Grandmother expected for you were thirsty enough when 
I found you.” 

“Were you, Faith?” the little boy asked. 

“Um-hum!” she answered. 

“Now you eat,” commanded the Gnome, “and I’ll tell him all that has 
happened.” And as they settled down to their bread and really delicious 
broth he continued: “You see, when I do want to go out into the Forest, 


The Adventures of Freedom and Faith 


75 


I am obliged to pass through Hama’s, Hama’s tree-trunk. And tonight when 
I went into the Elm, I found it bewitched, this little girl all in a heap, and 
the sisters very much worried. They told me their story, and asked me to 
bring Faith in here where there was more room for her than with them.” 

“I was afraid to be here at first,” interrupted Faith. “But I was so 
thirsty that I let him give me a drink and then I went to sleep.” 

“I guess you did,” chuckled the Gnome. “That was a potion you drank, 
made from honey gathered in the dark of the moon and the juice of crushed 
berries plucked from under the snow on Christmas Night.” 

“Why didn’t Hama, Hama send for you when I asked them for a drink?” 
questioned Faith suddenly. 

“They knew better than to bother me when I’m busy,” answered the 
Gnome. “Besides, I never would have heard them. The door between their 
tree and my rock is too thick.” 

“Why, you heard me,” said Freedom. 

“No dryad could possibly have made such a racket as you did,” de- 
clared the Gnome. “I thought that at the very least the Peacock must be 
after you.” 

“Won’t he be angry when he finds out how nice you’ve been to Faith?” 
the little boy asked. 

“Humph!” grunted the Gnome. “He can be as angry as he likes. He 
needs me far too much to harm me. He knows very well that he can’t get 
along without me. Oh! he’d be glad to, but he can’t. I say he can’t and 
he knows it!” 

Meanwhile the children had finished their simple meal and now coaxed 
the little old fellow to show them the gift he had made for Faith. 

“Not yet,” he smiled. “Not quite yet. I want first to get this story 
all straight. Begin at the beginning and let me hear everything.” 

The children were eager enough to do so, and bit by bit with the 


76 


Once Upon a Time 


little Gnome’s help, they pieced together the tale of that night’s adventures, 
from the time they had separated up to that very moment. 

“Tut, tut!” said the Gnome ruefully. “I’m afraid the Fairy Queen will 
be most upset. I say, I’m afraid Her Majesty will be most upset. I wonder 
now, if the Elements really will make you choose so soon.” 

“I know one thing,” declared Freedom, and his little jaw set hard, 
“nobody can make me leave this Valley until I have rescued the Rainbow 
Frost Prince.” 

“Tut, tut!” counselled the Gnome. “I wouldn’t say that if I were you. 
We all know that to help the Prince, it will be necessary to go into the Land 
of Human Beings, and the fairies will never want you to run the risk of 
being captured and kept there. I dare say they are worried enough now. 
News of all this business must have reached the Grotto. I’m afraid you ought 
to be going. I’d like to keep you here a while longer but I really think you 
ought to be going. Suppose, Faith, you just look in that chest and see what’s 
in the little carved stone box in the lower left hand corner of the right hand 
middle drawer, while I put some balsom on Freedom’s sprain and bind it up. 
Tut, tut! Such doings! Such doings! Really the Wind is often too rough!” 
And he began to attend deftly to the little Rock Boy’s shoulder. 

A cry from Faith made them both turn toward her. “Freedom!” she 
exclaimed. “Look, Freedom, look!” In her hand she held a magic ring! A 
frozen dewdrop sparkled in the centre of a deep-blue violet petal, and the 
circlet was of tinnier dewdrops cunningly held in place between two dainty 
bands of elfin silver. 

“Will it last?” asked Faith. 

“As long as you believe in fairies,” replied the Gnome. “But the day 

you begin to doubt the Little People, the petal will fade and the dewdrops will 
all melt and drip away to nothing. Slip it on your finger.” 

The little girl did so and dancing round and round exclaimed over and 
over, “Oh, my beautiful ring, I love you, I love you!” 

“I wish I had given you that ring,” said Freedom. 


The Adventures of Freedom and Faith 


77 


“Tut, tut,” chided the Gnome kindly. “You have saved her from the 
power of the Lord of the Forest. Who knows what might have happened if 
you had not overcome him and opened the tree-trunk! What is a ring com- 
pared to liberty?” 

“Oh yes!” breathed Faith quickly. “Do let’s go, Freedom. The Pea- 
cock may come back!” 

“There’s not the slightest chance of that,” declared the Gnome. “Like 
the Swan, he cannot stay in the Valley after sunrise. But, I really believe 
you ought to be going. You’ll come again, both of you, won’t you? I say, 
you’ll come again, won’t you? Now, be careful to close the Elm.” 

“Yes, we will,” promised the children. And as Faith passed him she 
gave him a hearty kiss which pleased the little old fellow immensely, though 
all he said was “There now child, don’t be foolish, don’t be foolish.” 

“Isn’t he dear!” exclaimed Faith when the tree had shut behind them. 

“Yes,” agreed Freedom, “and just think if all these adventures hadn’t 
happened, we might never have had a visit with him; you wouldn’t have had 
your ring, and I wouldn’t have had this plume.” 

“I know,” said Faith, “and now that I am free again, I think it’s all 
been fun. But oh, Freedom, I shall be glad when we are out of this Forest.” 

At that Spike slipped his cold nose against the little girl’s hand and 
the Rock Boy put his well arm protectingly around her. “I’d just like to see 
anybody try to hurt you now,” he muttered fiercely. And in a very short time 
the three comrades were once more safely back in the Fairies’ Grotto. 



















As the Moon Grew Round 



As the Moon Grew Round 


81 


The weeks that followed the children’s adventures along 
the Creek were never to be forgotten by anyone in the 
Enchanted Valley. Grotto and Stronghold, Stream and 
Forest rang with the news of all that had happened, and 
the Hama-dryad sisters had such a steady flow of visitors 
that they almost wished their Elm were still bewitched. 

They begged the Gnome to come out of his seclusion and 
answer for them the many questions the wood-nymphs 
and elf-men asked. But the little old fellow only laughed 
at them and shut himself up more closely than ever, refus- 
ing to see anyone, even the Peacock. 

The Lord of the Forest held his head very high and tried 
to appear entirely uninterested in all the gossip. He was 
far from feeling so calm, however, for like everyone else, 
he knew that it would make a great deal of difference to 
the Valley, which one of the Elements took possession of 
Freedom. 

For the Rain and Wind and Sun had held their council and 
had sent formal word to the King and Queen of the Fairies, 
that the time had come for Freedom to decide to whom 
he wished to belong, and that he must do so and be pre- 
pared to leave the Nook before the waning of the Moon. 
In vain did the little Queen insist that the boy was not yet 
wise enough to make such an important decision, and urge 


82 


Once Upon a Time 


that he be allowed to remain in the Grotto for at least 
another twelfth month. The Elements were firm. 

And soon all sorts of new rumors began to float about. 
It was whispered that the Rock Boy had already chosen, 
although there was much difference of opinion as to 
whether his choice was the Rain or ,the Wind or the Sun. 
Others declared that, on the contrary, they had it upon 
good authority, that Freedom had positively refused to 
leave the Valley. And still others had heard that he 
intended to rescue the Rainbow Frost Prince. “But, of 
course,” they admitted, “that must be a mistake. For how 
could he hope to succeed when older and wiser folk of great 
power had failed.” 

Everywhere the little boy and girl went, so many curious 
nymphs and dryads followed them, and so many elves and 
water-sprites felt suddenly moved to pay their respects 
to the Fairy King and Queen, that His Majesty forbade 
Freedom to leave the Grotto and was forced to issue a 
proclamation that for the present only official envoys 
would be welcome at Rocky Nook, and that those who 
held his people in the truest friendship, would be the 
last to come to their Kingdom, until they were ready to 
announce Freedom’s decision. 

This the Rock Boy refused stolidly to make, until the 
Rainbow Frost Prince was freed from his enchantment. 


As the Moon Grew Round 


83 


The fairies coaxed, cajoled and commanded, even threat- 
ened, and the exasperated little King explained over and 
over that, in his mind, the affair between the Rainbow 
Frost Prince and the Lord of the Forest was one in which 
no one had a right to meddle. “Besides,” he always 
ended, “there are too many dangers for faerie folk in the 
Land of Human Beings, for us to think of allowing you 
to venture into it.” 

But the boy was so determined to save his friend that 
he paid little attention to what His Majesty said and 
matters continued in this way until the fairies became 
fearful that if Freedom did not soon decide among the 
Elements, he might bring down their wrath upon 
himself. 

They took to holding solemn court during the bright 
middle watch of each night discussing how they could 
make him give up his project and help him to come to 
some conclusion. But the end of each council found them 
no nearer the solution of their problem than they were 
in the beginning. For, to tell the truth, these dear little 
folk are not very logical. And all the while the Moon 
grew fuller and fuller until it was almost round. 

Then, a chance remark of Sweet-briar which the chil- 
dren happened to overhear, gave them an idea that made 
Freedom suddenly take matters into his own hands in such 
a way that many strange things came to pass. 

























































Pine Hill and Cedar Cliff 


The Gallant Rescue of the RainboxO Frost Prince 
































I 

How the Pine Giant Advised the Children 


It was two nights before Full Moon, and Rocky Nook was as light as 
day. Faith had never seen the Grotto so beautiful nor the fairies so exquisite 
and elegant. She and Freedom had been talking together, a little apart from 
their dainty friends, and had fallen silent when they heard sensible, little 
Sweet-briar's voice ring out clearly above the soft hum of the Council: “Why 
don't we ask the Wisest One in the Enchanted Country?" 

“I know who that is," piped Four Leaf Clover. 

“So does everyone else," declared the King sternly, “and, anyway, it 
was not your turn to speak." 

All three remarks were so characteristic that the children smiled at 
each other and Faith asked lazily, “Who is the Wisest One?" 

“The Pine Giant," said the boy. 

“Why have I never seen him?" 

“Well," explained Freedom, “he lives with the other Pine Giants on 
the hilltop at the edge of the Valley, and I seldom go up there. He’s a queer 
sort; doesn’t talk much, except when people ask his advice about important 
things. Everyone likes him. The Frost King never strips his great branches; 
the Rain never makes marshes beneath his roots; Spring, Summer, Autumn 
and Winter, he is always the same. And the Wind loves to linger with him 
by the hour. It is even said that he is the only one with whom the Lord of 
the Forest has never had a quarrel." 

“Perhaps he could tell us how to rescue the Prince!" suggested the little 
girl shyly. 

“Faith!" cried the boy, “I do believe he could! I’ll go and ask him." 

“Take me, too," she coaxed quickly. 


88 


Once Upon a Time 


“But I want to go by water,” hesitated Freedom, “it's the best way.” 

“Well, Spike can carry me,” she answered with a glance at the dog, 
who, since the night of her adventures in the Tangle, was never far from 
her side. 

“All right,” said the boy, “but we must be quiet. Because I don’t 
think the fairies will like our leaving the Grotto without asking their per- 
mission. And if I do, I’m afraid they’ll say no.” 

“So the children slipped noiselessly down to the Stream, and when Faith 
had mounted Spike’s back, he and Freedom swam evenly in the direction of 
the Tangle until they came to the great hill in whose shadow, a little farther 
on, Windflower fluttered. At the foot of the hill a great rock reached up 
above the water and there the little boy and the dog landed with Faith. 

“Oh, Freedom!” exclaimed the little girl. “You aren’t ever going up 
that bluff, are you? It’s too steep!” 

The Rock Boy gave a confident laugh. “Give me your hand,” he com- 
manded. “If you slip, just catch hold of Spike’s shaggy coat.” 

“I’d rather catch hold of it now,” said Faith, as they started to climb, 
and the great dog at once came close to her so that she could take a firm 
grip. But she really did not need him for Freedom was so sure of foot that 
without much difficulty they scaled the hill and entered the pine forest. 

“Why do the trees sigh so, Freedom?” asked the little girl curiously. 

“Because they cannot leave here,” he answered. “Some are trying to 
reach the sky, and, at heart, all the giants are warriors and long to fare forth 
and do brave deeds.” 

“Oh, I didn’t know giants ever lived in trees,” said Faith, puzzled. “I 
thought only dryads did that.” 

“The Pines are the giants,” explained Freedom,, carefully. “Don’t you 
remember that the Hamas are part of their Elm? Anyway, some trees are 
different from others.” And, with Spike trotting along, he guided the little 
girl to the Wise Giant, whom they had come to consult. 


The Gallant Rescue of the Rainbow Frost Prince 


89 


He was by far the tallest one in the Forest and in his armor of bark 
that bristled with needles, his cloak of purple shadows, and his cone-studded 
helmet, he made a figure so mighty that for a full moment both the children 
were awed into silence. Then Freedom touched him to attract his attention. 

“Well, little Rock Boy,” responded the Giant, in a deep but strangely 
gentle voice, “I see you have brought the Little Mortal. What can I do for 
you?” 

“We want to ask you something,” said Freedom. 

“I am listening,” returned the Giant, kindly. 

“We want,” explained the Rock Boy, “to free the Rainbow Frost Prince 
from his enchantment. Everyone says that it can’t be done. What do you 
think?” 

“I believe,” replied the Giant, “that it can.” 

“But,” objected Freedom, “the Princess told me that both she and the 
Frost King had tried their best and as yet they could not do anything.” 

“True enough,” replied the Giant, “and the whole Valley will have to 
work together if it is to be done now. So far, the Stream People always re- 
fuse to help save His Lordship, and the Forest Folk will do nothing for the 
Rainbow Frost Prince.” 

“But we don’t want to help the Peacock,” interrupted Faith. “He is 
so bad. We only want to help the dear little Rainbow Frost Prince.” 

“Then, I fear, you can do nothing after all,” replied the Giant, “for 
it is almost impossible ever to help the good without also helping the bad. 
Besides, His Lordship is far better than his enemies like to think him. One 
cannot deny that he is hot-tempered, vain and arrogant, but he has a good 
heart, and is very loyal to his people. The dryads adore him; the elves, 
whose Stronghold is in his Forest, admire and are glad to serve him; and 
even Windflower, who is so shy, does not fear him.” 

“Then how could he be so mean as to bewitch the Rainbow Frost Prince? 
And shut me up?” demanded Faith. 


90 


Once Upon a Time 


“As to the last,” replied the Giant, “he probably thought he had good 
reasons. And as to your first question, have you never done anything unkind 
when you were angry? But, you know the story!” 

“I wish,” said Freedom, suddenly, “that you would tell it to us. I’ve 
always heard it from the Wind, and he is such a good friend of the Frost 
King that maybe he hasn’t explained everything just exactly as it happened.” 

“Well,” said the Giant, “the tale is soon told. The Lord of the Forest 
and the Frost King used to have a compact by the terms of which neither 
the King nor his son could come to His Lordship’s domain until after the 
dryads had begun to throw away their leaves. But one autumn, the Little 
Prince, filled with the spirit of adventure, and curiosity to see how the En- 
chanted Valley looked while all was still green, wandered down alone, with- 
out telling his father, before the time agreed upon. 

“When the Lord of the Forest found him in the Tangle, he was so 
furious that, before he realized what a serious thing he was doing, he had 
forced the Little Prince from the Valley to the Land of Human Beings. Where- 
upon, the Wind rushed off to tell the news to the Frost King, who hastened 
down from the North and demanded that His Lordship restore his son to 
him at once. Alas! The Lord of the Forest could do nothing of the kind, 
for, as everyone knows, when a faerie exile enters the Land of Human Beings, 
he immediately becomes in form, what in spirit he most resembles. 

“His Lordship reminded the Frost King of this. ‘And by now/ he 
added, ‘he may be anywhere, for the Land of Human Beings is large, and 
I do not even know under which of its Spells he may have fallen.’ 

“ ‘Then,’ said the King, ‘you shall share my son’s banishment and your- 
self become enchanted.’ 

“At first, the Lord of the Forest laughed at the cold white wrath of the 
Frost. ‘You are not powerful enough to force me from my own domain/ he 
taunted. 

“ ‘We shall see/ declared the King quietly. ‘Unless you do as I com- 
mand, I shall lay bare your Forest/ And presently the dryads began to shiver, 


The Gallant Rescue of the Rainbow Frost Prince 


91 


the flowers to droop, the ground to crack and the little furry creatures com- 
plained of cruel bites. 

“ ‘But/ comforted His Lordship, ‘this happens every year when the 
Frost King comes. Have patience and courage, my people, it will not be long 
until the Snow Queen will bring her white cover and tuck you up nice and 
warm.’ 

“The Forest Folk listened to his words and tried to be brave, but soon 
they called again to their Monarch — this time in groups: 

“ ‘Other seasons,’ moaned the dryads, ‘he merely plucked off our leaves, 
now he strikes at our hearts.’ 

“ ‘Other autumns,’ whispered the plants, ‘he merely scattered our petals ; 
now he is killing our roots.’ 

“ ‘Other years,’ groaned the creatures, ‘the pinches he gave us were to 
make us run and keep warm; now he is crippling us so we can never run 
again.’ 

“‘Enough!’ cried the Lord of the Forest. ‘Rather than see you suffer, 
I will sacrifice myself.’ 

“For he really loved his people and was no coward. Besides, (and this 
was the most important reason) he could not bear to appear so in the eyes 
of his friends. 

“So he yielded to the Frost King and was banished to the Land of 
Human Beings. 

“There he came upon the Prince. His Highness had changed into a 
beautiful Swan. And, it so happened, that the Spell under which His Lord- 
ship fell was the same. Of course, he also became, in form, what in spirit 
he most resembled, the magnificent Peacock whom you know. 

“For theirs is a strange enchantment. By its law, they are free to 
return to us a few hours each night, between the new and waning Moon. 
But, at daybreak, both become invisible to all faerie folk. And, should the 
Sun rise before they are safely settled again in the Land of Human Beings, 
they will remain invisible forever .” 


92 


Once Upon a Time 


“Where in the Land of Human Beings do they stay?” asked Faith. 

“That’s what I wanted the Prince to tell me,” answered Freedom. “But 
he said, if he did, he couldn’t leave there again.” 

“He spoke the truth,” declared the Giant, “and, by the same token, 
neither can His Lordship tell it. But now that we have a little mortal with 
us, it may not be impossible to find out.” 

“What do you mean?” asked both the children. 

“By observation,” replied the Giant. “Human eyes must watch where 
they go, follow them and see what happens.” 

“I can do that,” cried Faith, suddenly. 

“And I’ll go with you,” declared Freedom. 

“Oh, no,” protested the little girl, earnestly, “You might fall under some 
Spell, too, just like the Prince and the Lord of the Forest.” 

“Many strange things have happened at one time and another to Valley 
People in the Land of Human Beings,” agreed the Giant, gravely. “To venture 
there is a great risk. Yet, I believe, that if one were strong and free (under 
no decree of banishment) he could go and come in safety. At any rate, this 
much is certain — neither Swan nor Peacock can be rescued until we know 
exactly where they are held captive.” 

“We’ll find out,” the children declared, confidently. 

“You will be doing a real service to the Valley if you do,” said the 
Giant heartily. For, with this knowledge, and plenty of courage, and if Free- 
dom can persuade each of the peoples of the Stream and the Forest to help 
him, you surely ought to be able to free the Prince and the Lord of the Forest 
from the Spell that holds them in exile.” 

“And to give them back their own forms,” added Freedom jubilantly. 

“Only your friends, the fairies, can do that,” the Giant replied. “They 
alone possess enough magic. But there will be plenty of time to ask them 
after the Swan and the Peacock are safely rescued.” 


The Gallant Rescue of the Rainbow Frost Prince 


93 


“Let’s follow them this very night,” urged Faith. 

“Yes,” said Freedom, “there are only a few nights more before I must 
leave the Valley.” 

“With which of the Elements are you going?” the Giant asked simply. 

“I haven’t decided yet,” the Rock Boy answered. “I know the Wind 
lots the best, and I love the Rain, but the Sun is so powerful and kind. No 
one can live without him.” 

“Nor without the Rain,” said the Giant. 

“Yes, but the Rain couldn’t help me save Faith when she was in the 
Elm,” replied Freedom, “and the Sun did. Besides, I do want to ride with 
him in his chariot through the Skyland. 

“The Wind can whirl with you everywhere,” the Giant suggested. 

“But he’s not so splendid!” declared the little boy firmly. “I want to 
belong to the Sun. I’m going to be like him.” 

“Why, Freedom!” exclaimed the little girl in surprise, “you have made 
up your mind after all, haven’t you?” 

“I hadn’t until now,” the boy answered. “I mean, I didn’t know I had. 
But I guess, I’ve always really meant to be the Sun’s.” 

“You will never be sorry,” the Giant assured him. “And the Sun will 
be more than glad. For, since you have chosen him, I will tell you a secret. 
In all his greatness and glory, he is often lonely, and in his heart wants you 
more than either of the others.” 

“Does he?” asked Freedom, very much interested. “I know the fairies 

will be glad, too, that I have decided to belong to him. Though they won’t 

like my following the Swan into the Land of Human Beings. But I’m going 
to do it!” 

And when they had thanked the Pine Giant for all his advice, they 

called Spike and, descending again into the Stream, swam slowly up toward 

the Willows. 


II 

How Faith Discovered Where the Swan and the Peacock 
Were Held Captive 

At the Willows, the Lord of the Forest was holding high carnival toward 
the end of the arbor nearest the Stream. So the children hid at some little 
distance from the merry-making in the undergrowth, just outside the long 
avenue, intending to discuss the details of their plans. But it was nearer day- 
break than they had realized, and they were scarcely settled down when a 
little cry went up from the dryads, and Faith saw the Peacock suddenly leave 
the laughing group of which he was the centre, and hasten down the arbor 
toward herself and Freedom. 

“Farewell, Your Lordship! Farewell until midnight!” called the wood- 
nymphs. 

“See! He has become invisible,” exclaimed the Rock Boy. 

“Not to me!” returned the little girl, full of excitement. “I can see 
him just as plain! Oh, look! Here comes the Swan, too! He’s flying! They 
both seem to be in an awful hurry.” 

“Of course,” returned Freedom, “It’s not long after daybreak until 
sunrise. I guess they stay in the Valley as long as they dare.” 

“They’rt almost here,” whispered Faith. “When they pass us we’ll 
follow them. Quick!” she cried suddenly, and scrambling into the arbor, 
she raced after them as fast as her little legs could carry her. 

“Where are they now?” demanded the Rock Boy, easily keeping pace 
by her side. 

“Swan’s almost at the end of the avenue,” she panted, “the Peacock 
can’t keep up with him. Can’t you see them at all , Freedom?” 

“No!” answered the boy, “and neither can any of the Enchanted Valley 
Folk. Watch Spike. He doesn’t know what he’s to do.” 


The Gallant Rescue of the Rainbow Frost Prince 


95 


And surely enough, the big dog who had dashed on ahead, was now 
looking back inquiringly as much as to say, “Is this the right way I'm taking?” 

At the end of the Willows, a deep pool was walled in with moss-laden 
stones and surrounded by shade trees. 

“Oh! Oh!” cried the little girl in rapture. But Freedom caught her 
hand quickly. 

“Don’t stop a second,” he commanded, “it’s the dryads’ bath. Another 
time you can come here and maybe they’ll let you swim with them. Can you 
still see the Swan and the Peacock?” 

The little girl nodded, and rounding the pool they came to a hillside 
densely covered with cedar trees, just as the Swan disappeared over its 
summit. Midway up the green cliff, the Lord of the Forest was running with 
all his might, and up the hillside hurried Spike and the children. 

On the brow of the cliff the cedars gave way to a lawn with a turf like 
velvet and in its centre a stately mansion lifted high vine-covered towers. 
The place was the beautiful dwelling of mortals. 

Both the Swan and the Peacock had reached a wide porch and the big 
dog, seeing that Faith and the Rock Boy were coming, ran out himself from 
the cedars onto the lawn. But no sooner did he set foot in the Land of 
Human Beings, than he changed back again into the tall brown staff he had 
been in the house of the Birds’ Beautiful Friend. 

Faith could not help giving a cry of horror as she saw him fall stiffly 
to the ground. 

“You mustn’t come any farther,” she gasped to the Rock Boy, “you 
may be changed into something, too.” But Freedom only gave a reckless laugh 
and pulled her along when she stopped to pick up the staff. 

“Hurry,” he said, “we can do that when we come back. Where are the 
Prince and His Lordship?” 

Choking down her sobs, the little girl pointed to the porch where she 


96 


Once Upon a Time 


and the boy arrived just as the Peacock sprang after the Swan through a 
large open window, and through the window also sprang Freedom and Faith. 

It opened straight into a room which was almost as lovely as that of 
a palace. The floors were so polished that the little girl felt as if she were 
walking on satin, and there were many wonderful and beautiful things every- 
where. Most wonderful of all was a marvelous beaded curtain that hung in 
the doorway. 

Before it the Peacock was breathing hard, and Faith saw that on it 
was the picture of a pure white Swan, swimming on a bright blue lake. As 
the curtain stirred with the breeze, the little lake rippled softly and near it, 
in the same picture, a branch swayed silently to and fro. As Faith watched, 
the Peacock flew up onto the branch and there he perched like the Swan 
ENCHANTED ONTO THE CURTAIN. 

The little girl was so startled at seeing the Spell work right before 
her very eyes, that she clung to the Rock Boy, who was staring at the curtain 
in blank amazement. 

“You can see them now too, can’t you?” she exclaimed in delight. 

He nodded. “Yes. I never guessed they were that kind of captives. 
Come. We’ve found out what we wanted to know.” 

Together they bounded to the lawn and on the way down to the cedars 
they discussed what they had seen, and how they should go about persuading 
the Stream and Forest to help them. They decided it would be best to go to 
Sylvia first, because, as Freedom said, when the Lord of the Forest was away, 
she had more power in the Tangle than anyone else. 

By the time they had reached this conclusion, they had come back to 
the brown staff, so they carried it safely into the Enchanted Country. At 
once Spike was his great shaggy self, and oh! so happy to be able to run 
about, frolicking around the children as they made their way to the Pea- 
cock’s favorite wood-nymph. 


Ill 

How Freedom Persuaded Stream and Forest 
to Hold Council 

In the very heart of the Tangle there was a stately locust tree, whose 
mossy twisted roots made a luxurious couch. Around it the thick short grass 
v/as like a soft green carpet and the whole clearing was surrounded by a high 
wall of fragrant, close-set cedars. This lovely secret place was Sylvia’s own 
retreat, and there, when Freedom parted the branches, the children found the 
wood-nymph quite sound asleep, watched over by two of her maidens. 

“Hush!” warned Chloe, as the boy stepped into the pretty circle. “We 
do not wish our Lady wakened.” 

“I have news for her,” returned Freedom. “Important news, concerning 
the Lord of the Forest.” 

“That would scarcely interest her,” said Phyllis. “Do you not know 
that since the night she and His Lordship had angry words, at the Willows, 
they have not again held speech with one another?” 

“That doesn't make any difference,” declared Freedom. “You don’t 
stop loving anybody just because you’re angry with them, do you, Faith?” 

Disturbed by this discussion, Sylvia opened her beautiful eyes and, 
raising herself, to her elbow, rested her chin upon her hand and smiled drowsily 
at the children. 

“And what do the child of the fairies and his little friend desire of 
Sylvia?” she asked smiling. 

“We know where the Peacock and Swan are held captive,” explained 
the boy. “And if you will promise to help us rescue the Rainbow Frost Prince, 
we will tell you. But not until you have promised.” 

At his words, Sylvia puckered her lovely brow. “What makes you think 
you know where they are?” she questioned. 


98 


Once Upon a Time 


“We’ve been in the Land of Human Beings and have seen them there 
with our very own eyes,” said the boy. 

“Is it possible!” exclaimed the wood-nymph. “Tell me everything! I 
will do all in my power to help you. The Princess and I were once dear 
friends, before all this trouble arose. It has gone on long enough. Of course, 
His Lordship will be angry, terribly angry, if I help to free his enemy.” 

“Would he rather stay in the Land of Human Beings himself than have 
the Rainbow Frost Prince freed from enchantment?” asked Faith. 

“So he says,” replied the wood-nymph, “but it is difficult to tell what 
he would really like, for it is his way to pretend that he prefers whatever he 
cannot help. But, tell me, where is he all day long and at night during half 
of each month?” 

“Well,” said Freedom cautiously, “he is on a wonderful curtain.” 

“Then,” cried Sylvia, “the rescue may not prove easy. Chloe, seek 
entrance into Hama’s, Hama’s tree and see if you can fetch out the Gnome. He 
is learned in all witchery and enchantments.” 

“While we are waiting for him,” said Freedom, “I’ll go down and tell 
the Princess as much as I have told you, and get her promise to help save 
the Lord of the Forest. And Faith, you explain to Windflower and ask her 
to summon the water-sprites.” 

“Shall I meet you at the Spring-of-Tears?” the little girl asked. 

“Yes,” said Freedom. 

“Agreed!” smiled Sylvia. “Phyllis shall accompany the child and I, 
myself, shall be there within the hour with other dryads, the Gnome and a 
goodly group of elves, for we will surely need their help. As they dwell in 
His Lordship’s Forest, they can scarcely refuse! And do you, Freedom, bring 
the Rainbow Princess and some of her water-nymphs.” 

The Princess received the Rock Boy as graciously as before and listened 
gravely to his story. But, when he had finished, she murmured: 


The Gallant Rescue of the Rainbow Frost Prince 


99 


'‘I scarcely know what to say. I fear the Frost King will be very angry 
if I do anything for the Lord of the Forest. Besides, what can I do to really 
help?” 

“Come to the council and find out?” replied Freedom quickly. “We are 
trying to get the Gnome to come, and if he does, he may know of something. 
We are all going to decide together just what part, in the rescue, each one 
must take. Sylvia is willing,” he added. 

“Sylvia’s heart has not been hurt as mine has,” sighed the Princess. 
“She has nothing to forgive my son. But the Lord of the Forest has caused 
me untold suffering! Yet, I dare not risk losing even a chance to free my 
little Prince. I will, at least, go to the council with you,” and, clapping her 
hands, she summoned a beautiful craft of mother-of-pearl into which she and 
Cloud and Concordia stepped. 

Other maidens pushed it gently forward and, thus, Freedom swimming 
beside them, they glided down the Stream to the Tangle. 

By the time they had arrived at the Spring-of -Tears, one would scarcely 
have recognized the quiet dell, it was so full of bustle and excitement, for 
Sylvia had kept her word and the high grass between the Spring and the Stream 
was pressed softly down by the dryads who sat upon it, watching the dozens 
upon dozens of water-sprites as they crowded close to the bank. Many elves 
were also swimming about in the Stream and scores more jostled each other 
along Windflower’s log. As a token of friendly greeting, Cloud came and sat 
beside the Lovely Sylph and Sylvia joined the Princess and Concordia in their 
pearly craft. 

“Don’t you think we should have asked the fairies, too?” the little girl 
whispered to the Rock Boy when he crossed over to where she stood, by the 
Spring, with Phyllis. 

“I don’t think so,” said Freedom, slowly. “They never leave their Grotto 
any more, and, you know, the King is always saying that this affair concerns 
only the people of the Stream and Forest. Besides, don’t you remember, the 
Giant said there would be plenty of time for them to help after the rescue?” 


100 


Once Upon a Time 


Just then, all conversation was interrupted rudely by the Gnome. 

“I have thought it out,” he announced, in his funny, cracked voice. 
“And if anyone wants to hear anything , everyone must be quiet!” 

A soft rustle succeeded his words and subsided into a hush, which was 
broken only by the ripple of the water. After he had cleared his throat several 
times, he continued: 

“Be it known, to all who would rescue from the Land of Human Beings 
those who have fallen under the Picture Spell, whether on easel, or wall or 
curtain, that there is, in each river and stream and brook, a stone which is at 
once white as foam, blue as sky, green as grass, hard as flint, dull as velvet 
and as bright as the fairies’ emerald. If this stone can once be found, it 
must be crushed to dust so fine that it cannot be seen. Take this dust and 
when the enchanted foe or friend begins to change, fling it upon him and watch 
what happens. Then, drag him swiftly from the picture. But mind! I say, 
now mind! if this dust be thrown too soon, he will remain invisible forever. 
If thrown too late, he can never again leave the Land of Human Beings. That’s 
all,” he ended. “If the water-sprites can find the stone, I know how to grind 
it. I say, if the water-sprites can find the stone, I know how to grind it.” 

“// the water-sprites can find the stone!” echoed those wee people. “Of 
course we can find it! We can find anything that is in our Stream, and will 
bring it to you if the Princess will give us permission.” 

“That I cannot give,” said Her Highness, slowly, “until I know by whom 
and how it will be used to rescue my little son.” 

“The elves can surely do the work,” said Sylvia. “They are so strong 
and quick.” 

“Of course, we can,” agreed Twink, “but it is quite a distance from 
here to the Land of Human Beings. Suppose, too, we should be caught there, 
how could we escape?” 

“I can carry you up and back,” said Freedom. 


The Gallant Rescue of the Rainbow Frost Prince 


101 


“Not enough of us,” replied Twink. “We must go several hundred 
strong to rescue both the Swan and the Peacock.” 

“I can help Freedom carry you,” said Faith. 

“You cannot run fast enough,” declared the elf. “A big human might 
easily overtake you and harm us.” 

“Windflower could fly out of reach,” suggested the Princess. 

“Yes, Windflower is the one to take them,” shouted everyone in chorus. 

“Will you, Windflower?” asked Freedom. 

The lovely sylph looked up and murmured shyly: 

“/ — fear — to — lose — my — life 
In — all — this — strife. 

Human — Beings — so — I — hear 
Shoot — all — with — wings 
Who — come — too — near” 

Just then there was a rustle in the air and a group of sylphs, both 
youths and maidens, fluttered down from the sky. Hovering above the dell 
they called : 

“Windflower! Windflower! The day advances! We may tarry here 
no longer. Fly up to us, we have glad tidings for you!” 

The Lovely Sylph flew up as far as her chain of pebbles would permit, 
and when, after she had spoken with them, she descended, her sweet dark 
eyes were full of eagerness, and she spoke in a hurried fashion most unlike 
her usual manner. 

“Folk of the Enchanted Valley,” she said, “My people tell me that Star 
Wing, a sylph-youth whom I have loved since we were children, and whom 
we all thought had long since perished, is even at this moment on his way 
home to our land. I have served you long, wee elfin-men, and now, I will 
risk my life for you, if, in return, you will promise, should I not lose it, to 
give me back my liberty.” 


102 


Once Upon a Time 


“No, no, no, no, no, no, no!” shouted all the elves. 

“For shame!” cried Sylvia. 

“Well, we’re risking our lives, too, aren’t we,” demanded Twink, “and 
we need her tears, I tell you.” 

“I will bring you crystal dew, instead,” coaxed Windflower. 

“Used to tears now, must have them,” all the little men insisted. 

“How can you be so selfish!” exclaimed the wood-nymph. “Listen! I 
will prick my finger each day upon a thorn and will weep a thousand tear 
drops for you.” 

“And I,” cried Daphne, “will weep a hundred more.” 

“I, also,” murmured Clytie. 

“And I,” said Phyllis. 

“I, too,” echoed Chloe. 

“Two hundred, I,” said Cynthia. 

“And I, twice two hundred,” declared Thalia. 

Thus, one after another, the wood-nymphs spoke, until enough tears had 
been pledged to keep the spring flowing day and night. 

“Now, will Your Highness give her permission?” Sylvia questioned. 

“On one condition,” the Princess answered, “and that is, that the Little 
Mortal who found the Lake and Swaying Branch will give me her word to 
see that justice is done at the rescue. Do not think me untouched or unwilling 
to do my part. But, I cannot forget that the elves and dryads and even Wind- 
flower herself, are all dwellers in the Peacock’s Forest, and must, therefore, 
wish his safety before that of my Prince.” 

“Yes I will,” said Faith. “I promise.” 

“Then, let the water-sprites begin their search at once,” continued Her 


The Gallant Rescue of the Rainbow Frost Prince 


103 


Highness. “When they have found the stone, I will send it to the Gnome. 
Good fortune attend you one and all, until we meet again!” 

“I, too, must say farewell,” declared Sylvia, as the Princess’ craft 
sank slowly out of sight. “Nothing more can be done today, but when the 
Moon rises, if the stone has been found, and all is well, I will blow upon His 
Lordship’s bugle and at that call — assemble quickly in the Willows.” 

Her departure was a signal for everyone to disperse. Some went in 
one direction, some in another. As for Freedom and Faith, they returned to 
the Fairies’ Grotto with Spike, only stopping on their way long enough to tell 
the good Pine Giant all that had happened and to seek his further advice. 


IV 

HoW the Rainbow Frost Prince and the Lord of the Forest 
Were Restored to the Valley 

Great was the rejoicing among the fairies when Freedom told them 
that he had decided to belong to the Sun. They were so relieved that he had 
at last made his decision, and so delighted that his choice had fallen upon 
their favorite Element, that they forgave him his daring expedition with 
Faith into the Land of Human Beings. 

All day long they gathered around the little boy and girl to hear more 
of the details of their visit to the Pine Giant, the strange adventure into the 
Country of Mortals, the Big Council and Freedom’s plan for the rescue. And 
when twilight had come and deepened into dusk and the Nook was ablaze 
with fireflies and glowworms, the King and Queen sent for the children to 
present themselves at the Fairy Court. 

Freedom and Faith sat at the foot of the big mossy rock upon which 
the Little People were assembled, and both the children and the fairies were 
so full of excitement and had so much to say, that they scarcely noticed when 
the Moon came out. But after midnight had passed and still they heard no 
sound of bugle notes, Freedom grew uneasy. 

“Perhaps, we are too far away from the Tangle,” Faith suggested. 

“No,” said the Rock Boy, “that can’t be it. Something must have hap- 
pened.” | 

“Twink says,” remarked Four Leaf Clover casually, “that His Lord- 
ship’s bugle is very beautiful.” 

“I think, Freedom,” said the King suddenly, as if he had not heard 
Four Leaf Clover at all. “I think it very likely that His Lordship may not 
care to lend his beautiful bugle to Sylvia. He may even object to being 
rescued, you know. For, if you fail, it means he will either be invisible for- 
ever or can never again leave the Land of Human Beings.” 


The Gallant Rescue of the Rainbow Frost Prince 


105 


“We better find out what is the matter, Faith,” declared Freedom, spring- 
ing to his feet. 

Four Leaf Glover begged the Rock Boy to take him with them. “I can 
ride astride the top of your ear. Oh, what fun!” he laughed. 

“What are you thinking of, mad fairy,” exclaimed the King in dis- 
pleasure. 

“Yes, Four Leaf Clover,” the Queen added sweetly, “it would, indeed, 
be madness. Surely, you know, that it is only because Freedom has given 
his word to the whole Valley that we permit him to venture a second time 
into the Land of Human Beings.” 

“But, Your Majesty,” said Freedom, pausing a moment longer, “even 
if I were changed into something, you could make me myself again.” 

“Could you, Your Majesty?” asked Faith. 

“Of course, Little Mortal,” laughed the Fairy Queen, lightly. “It would 
be quite easy. But, if he should fall under some Spell — ah me! That would 
be a different matter.” And her lovely blue eyes clouded. “You see,” she 
added, “how difficult it is to rescue the Swan and the Peacock.” 

“Your Majesties,” said the Rock Boy, suddenly, “if we do rescue the 
Rainbow Frost Prince and the Lord of the Forest, will you change them into 
their own forms? You know you promised me a parting present, and I would 
lots rather you did this than have anything you could give me. Please!!” 

“The boy speaks well, Your Majesty,” said the little Queen softly. “Let 
us grant him his generous wish.” 

“The Fairy King has never yet refused to do a kindness,” His Majesty 
replied. “And as we alone possess the magic to free faerie folk from their 
enchanted forms, I will do as the Rock Boy requests, if the Prince and His 
Lordship ask the favor themselves in person. But I have heard from both 
elves and water-sprites that the Taller People of Stream and Forest question 
bur power, and it has been long since I have been asked to use it by either 
nymph or dryad,” 



106 


Once Upon a Time 


“That is because Your Majesty never permits us to leave the Grotto, 
and as they come here seldom they forget,” said Sweet-briar sensibly. 

“My subjects,” returned the wee King proudly, “the elves have their 
Stronghold in the Peacock's Forest; and the sprites dwell in the Princess’ 
Stream; the brownies roam and the pixies steal their homes from others; 
but the fairies have a beautiful land all their own. It is not well to leave it 
nor will I venture forth to work magic unasked.” 

“Oh, Your Majesty,” cried the little Queen impulsively, “forget to be 
cautious and let us sacrifice our pride a little when all the others in the Valley 
are risking so much.” 

During this conversation, the fairies had all gathered closer to the 
throne, and now, at the Queen’s words, a silvery cheer went up. 

“Oh, please, please !” chimed in the children. 

“Very well,” said the Fairy King to his people, “your happiness has 
always been my one desire; your will, when possible, my law; and, although 
I still think to leave our Kingdom is most imprudent, yet, I will do as you and 
the Rock Boy wish.” 

As he finished speaking, there was a soft whirr in the air, and a youth, 
clad in shimmering yellow with wings of night-blue tipped with star-shine, 
and star-shine lying thick upon his soft black hair, alighted in the Nook near 
the Court-rock. 

“It is Star Wing!” cried all the fairies. 

“Yes, it is I, Star Wing,” answered the sylph. “I salute Your Royal 
Majesties and greet your people.” 

“All are welcome in the Fairies’ Grotto,” said the King graciously, “and 
the friends who have wings are doubly so. What is your errand?” 

“I thank Your Majesty,” replied Star Wing. “I have been half around 
the world on a dangerous mission for the Rainbow Queen. On my way home, 
I was taken prisoner and returned only this evening, after a long absence, to 


The Gallant Rescue of the Rainbow Frost Prince 


107 


my own land, to find Windflower, whom I love, is a captive of the elves. When 
I hastened down to her at once, she begged me to find your Rock Boy and tell 
him that the Lord of the Forest refuses to permit the rescue. He declares that 
the danger of failure is too great! And more, he is furious that it should have 
been arranged without his permission! At present, he stalks up and down, 
by himself, on his distant Terrace. And the dryads and elves hide in the 
Tangle afraid of his anger.” 

“We knew there was something the matter,” cried the Rock Boy, “the 
elves and dryads must help us, even if His Lordship is angry! They promised.” 

And leaving the sylph to say farewell, the children and Spike hurried 
to the Spring-of-Tears. But, by the time they had reached it, Star Wing had 
overtaken them, and when he alighted he drew the lovely Sylph-maiden to him. 

“My beautiful Windflower,” he said gently, “this time tomorrow we 
shall be among the clouds of heaven.” 

“Star Wing! Star Wing!” she murmured, “I fear not!” 

Meanwhile, Freedom had blown upon his fingers, the elves’ trumpet 
call to arms, and so cleverly had he imitated it that now the little men came 
trooping out from their Stronghold in tens and twenties, clad in their wee 
suits of mail, made from the shells of locusts, bearing beetle wing shields, 
carrying spears each barbed with the sting of a wasp and wearing short- 
swords cut from the sharp fin of a tiny fish. 

“What? What? What?” they all demanded. “Where is the enemy?” 

“There isn’t any,” said Freedom. “I called you, because we must hurry. 
We must be within the House of the Wonderful Curtain well before daybreak.” 

“Aren’t going!” declared Twink, sullenly. 

“Yes you are,” answered Freedom. “You promised!” 

“Don’t want to, now,” insisted the elf. “His Lordship has forbidden it.” 

“You promised,” repeated Freedom. “You promised the Princess and 
the dryads and me. . . 


108 


Once Upon a Time 


“Listen, Little People,” interrupted Star Wing, “release Windflower at 
once, and I will carry you safely there and back.” 

“How do we know,” demanded the elves, “that you won’t swoop away 
with us?” 

“I shall do that,” the sylph declared, “if you break your word to every- 
one. But, if you choose to keep it, once Windflower is free, you may place 
the chain that is now about her ankle about mine instead, until the rescue 
is accomplished. And the Rock Boy may carry the loose end of it. He is 
surely too strong and heavy for me to lift from the earth.” 

“Maybe the dryads won’t weep for us,” Twink grumbled. 

“The dryads will do all that they have agreed,” said Sylvia, and turn- 
ing, the children saw that numbers of the wood-nymphs had quietly assembled. 

“But are you sure, Freedom,” she continued, “that we dare to risk the 
rescue against His Lordship’s express command? Almost my heart misgives 
me.” 

“Just think, though, how glad he’ll be,” murmured the little girl shyly, 
“when he isn’t under the Spell any more. And how happy we are making the 
Prince and his mother.” 

“I should scarcely risk His Lordship’s liberty for the Prince,” returned 
the wood-nymph coolly, “but I do not believe that we shall fail.” 

“Not with Freedom and the mortal child to direct us,” agreed Star 

Wing. 

“Well. . . . well. . . . well. . . .” cried the elves, “let’s be off! 
See if the Gnome has ground the stone.” 

And there followed such a commotion as the little girl had never before 
witnessed. Some of the elves set to work to undo Windflower’s chain from 
the log; others rushed back to the Stronghold to summon forth more of their 
comrades, and the dryads went to knock at the Hamas’ Elm and call out the 
Gnome. 


The Gallant Rescue of the Rainbow Frost Prince 


109 


He was waiting for them in the tree and exclaimed impatiently, “Tut, 
tut, tut, you were a long time coming for it. I say, you were a long time 
coming for it. Where is the Rock Boy?” 

And he trotted out to give Freedom the invisible dust himself. He 
had put it into a bag of the most silken moth wings and cautioned the little 
boy over and over not to let anyone else carry it. “Because everything depends 
upon it,” he ended. “I say, everything depends upon it.” 

At last, the chain was transferred from Windflower’s to Star Wing’s 
ankle. For one moment she flew far up out of sight, the next she had dropped 
down again to rest in his arms. “If we do not succeed, I shall never leave 
you,” she murmured. 

And without more words, both the sylphs gathered up as many of the 
elf-men as they could carry. Freedom, also, was fairly loaded down with 
them. And holding the end of Star Wing’s pebble chain in one hand, and 
the mothwing bag with the dust in the other, he trudged along with Faith 
by his side and Spike following, to the Willows, up through the cedars where 
they left the dog with the wood-nymphs, and on to the House of the Won- 
derful Curtain. 

Once inside, the sylphs folded their wings and slipped into the deep 
shadows at the far end of the room, while the elves hid themselves behind 
the beaded curtain, along the doorjam above it, and under all the furniture 
near it. The children took their places against the wall on either side of 
the window. 

They had arrived none too soon, for they were scarcely settled when 
the little girl, peeping out, saw the Prince and the Lord of the Forest ap- 
proaching. She told Freedom, who called softly to the elves to be ready, when 
Faith should clap her hands. 

“Hush!” she whispered, and they all held their breath, as the Swan and 
the Peacock came in through the window. 

His Lordship looked about suspiciously but, seeing no one, flew with 


110 


Once Upon a Time 


the Swan, straight up to the curtain. The instant they rose from the floor, 
the little girl gave Freedom his signal, and at the sound he flung the invisible 
dust where she pointed. 

Then everyone saw a marvelous sight!! For the second the dust 
touched the changing Swan it became a filmy, but firm, tissue which com- 
pletely enveloped him. The same thing had happened when it touched the 
Peacock. 

Seeing this, the elves slid down, and clambered up, the long strings 
of beads. And catching hold of the bright coverings bore the enchanted Rain- 
bow Frost Prince and the Lord of the Forest to the floor, out through the 
window, and, followed by the children, Star Wing and Windflower, carried 
them to the cedars, where, of their own accord, the veils melted again into 
dust too fine to be seen. 

The anxious dryads gathered about their bewildered monarch, who 
snapped out, as he shook himself: 

“Well, it was a very risky proceeding.” 

“But it’s all over now,” exclaimed the Swan happily. “I can hardly 
wait to greet my mother.” 

Well, be off with you then,” said His Lordship. “I must have rest. I 
am not used to daylight. I want darkness and quiet. Find me a comfortable 
place, someone! What is that yonder?” 

They all looked in the direction in which he pointed and a shout 
went up: 

“The fairies! The fairies are coming!” 

The Swan, who was hastening to join the group of naiads, waiting to 
take him to his mother; the sylphs, who, Star Wing just released, were about 
to fly away; and the elves, ready to scurry off, all paused, for surely enough, 
to the joy of Freedom and Faith the fairies were fluttering toward them. 

So many years was it since the fairies had left their Grotto, that it 


The Gallant Rescue of the Rainbow Frost Prince 


111 


was almost impossible for the wood-nymphs and naiads to believe their very 
eyes and never had they seen anything more beautiful! Each fairy was mounted 
on a butterfly, and the King’s chariot was drawn by twenty of them, black 
and orange; the Queen’s by twenty more, blue and yellow. 

They flew into the midst of the cedars and with wide-spread wings 
poised in mid-air. 

“Come hither, Enchanted Swan,” said the Fairy Queen sweetly. 

And when he had advanced to her, she touched him lightly with her 
wand. His feathers melted like snow and, once more himself, there stood before 
them the beautiful young Prince clad all in white and gold. 

No sooner had the Valley People recovered from this astonishment, 
than the Fairy King said to the Peacock: 

“Your Lordship, it lies within my power to perform the same great 
service for you. But first, I must have your knightly word of honor that 
hereafter, whenever mortal children wander in your Forest, they will be under 
your protection.” 

The Peacock easily granted this just demand and, as the Fairy King 
touched him with his wand, he straightened up and became a tall and hand- 
some figure. His tunic and hose were of green woven grass, his trailing 
mantel was now made from feathers that had been given him by the different 
birds in his Forest, and his crest had become a garland of laurel. 

A shout of joy went up from everyone. 

“Hail to the King and the Queen of the Fairies!” they cried. 

“Your Majesties!” exclaimed the Lord of the Forest, “this magic has 
proven you to be not only King and Queen of the Fairies, but also King 
and Queen of the Enchanted Valley. As such, I, your humble vassal, salute 
you!” 

The King rose in his chariot. “Your Lordship, and People of the Val- 
ley,” he said gravely, “you have the Rock Boy to thank for this. But for 


112 


Once Upon a Time 


him, I should never have left the Grotto. Tomorrow he goes with the Sun 
and, because of his friendship with the Rainbow Frost Prince, he asked that 
for our parting present to him, we would come here to work the magic you 
have just seen. If we are all happy it is because of Freedom and the Little 
Mortal, who is his comrade.” 

At that, dryads and sylphs and elves crowded around the children and 
the Prince who was with them, caressing the little girl gently and saying 
lovely things to the three of them until the Lord of the Forest held up his 
hand. 

“My friends,” he declared, “we shall all want to see the Rock Boy take his 
departure. And so, to make his going less sad, and to celebrate the peace be- 
tween us all and make it more lasting, I invite the whole Valley to a great feast 
tomorrow night upon my Terrace, where we will do homage to our King and 
Queen!” 

Of course, their Majesties accepted graciously and, as it was to be 
Freedom’s last day in the Grotto, they tarried no longer but flew daintily 
homeward followed by the happy children. 


V 

HovO Freedom Took Leave of Faith and His Friends 

That last day sped all too swiftly for the fairies. The Little People 
were broken hearted at the thought of losing their Rock Boy, but instead of 
moping they tried to see just how gloriously happy they could make both Faith 
and Freedom. And the big dog never left the children. 

The little boy and girl made many splendid plans, and Freedom ex- 
plained to her what he expected his life in the Sun’s land to be. 

‘Til come back for you when I’m grown up, and take you to ride 
with me in his chariot,” he promised. 

“Will you, Freedom?” she questioned. “And will I see what’s beyond 
the horizon?” 

“Yes, and we’ll visit the sylphs and play in the clouds.” 

“Oh, Freedom, will we truly!” exclaimed Faith, in rapture. Truly?” 

“Yes, truly,” he assured her. “Didn’t I come for you when you were 
shut up in the Elm Tree?” 

“But that was different,” she returned, suddenly sober. “Maybe the 
Sun won’t let you come for me.” 

“When I’m grown up,” said the boy, firmly, “I can do anything I want 
to. But perhaps you’ll be afraid up so high.” 

“Not with you,” she answered, with such a look of absolute trust that 
the little boy threw his arms around her and gave her a big hug. 

“I wish you were going now,” he declared generously. “Do you know 
what Sweet-briar says?” 


“What?” asked Faith curiously. 


114 


Once Upon a Time 


“She says that in a little while we may forget each other and that you 
may not believe in fairies any longer. She told Four Leaf Clover and he 
told me.” 

“That’s silly,” remarked the little girl, impatiently. “How could I help 
believing in fairies after I’ve lived in their Grotto? And I couldn’t forget 
you, Freedom!” 

The Little People, who overheard what the children were saying, shook 
their heads wisely and murmured among themselves. But the Queen, who 
happened to be listening, placed one dainty fingertip upon her lips, as a sign 
for them to be quiet, and beckoned to Snowflake. 

“Fetch me,” she commanded, “a golden flask of the sweet perfume dis- 
tilled from sighs caught in passing and the pale petals of forget-me-nots.” 

The golden flask was so tiny that it contained but a single drop of the 
essence, and when Snowflake had given it to the little Queen, Her Majesty 
flew up and alighted upon the back of Faith’s hand. 

“Little Mortal,” she said softly, “I have heard of Four Leaf Clover’s 
foolish chatter, and, although I doubt very much that there is any such 
danger as Sweet-briar suggests, I have brought you a gift that will com- 
pletely dispel it. Guard it well, and when Freedom is about to leave, lift the 
cork and draw in a deep breath. 

The little girl took the flask and thanked Her Majesty, who lingered 
until the fairies called the children to dress them for the feast. 

They had made the Rock Boy a new garment of fresh ferns and mosses ; 
and for Faith a dear little cape of scarlet leaves, tied at the throat with a rope 
of wild daisies that hung down to the hem of her yellow dress. 

The little boy and girl were just ready when the Rainbow Frost Prince 
arrived, with his mother and a group of her maidens, to escort them to the 
Terrace, and, as it was quite a distance from the Grotto, the Princess had 
brought a canoe, made like her own, from mother-of-pearl, for the children. 


The Gallant Rescue of the Rainbow Frost Prince 


115 


Clasping hands tightly they ran with Spike to the Creek where they found 
the beautfiul bark that was to take them for their last ride together. 

They let Spike leap in with them and sit at their feet. 

Her Highness and the Prince glided on before them; the nymphs pushed 
their craft slowly forward; the fairies fluttered on their butterflies above 
them; the Fairy King, in his chariot, on one side; and the Fairy Queen, in 
her chariot, on the other; and behind them naiads swam slowly and lovely 
sylphs flew low; while along the bank dryads hastening to the feast tossed 
long chains of blossoms across the Stream, above the procession, and flung 
handsful of flowers into the water before the pearl boats. 

Then, softly, through the rustle of wings and the splashing of water, 
the little girl began to hear music. 

Up the Stream, by the Terrace, Concordia was playing on her harp, 
and presently, all the water-sprites and naiads took up the tune. 

“Oh, Freedom!” cried Faith. “How lovely!” 

“Yes. IPs the Stream-Song,” he told her. 

Soon it seemed to her that the whispering of the trees, and the hum- 
ming of dryads and elves made the same melody. Even the liquid notes of 
the birds melted into the theme. 

“Why, they’re singing it, too, aren’t they?” she exclaimed, puzzled. 

“Of course,” answered Freedom. “It’s the Forest-Song, also.” 

And now she could hear the fairies’ sweet voices floating high above 
the whole chorus, like the clear notes of a violin obligato. 

“It’s their Dream-Song,” said Freedom. “You see,” he added, “it is 
the Song of the Valley.” 

The children joined in with the others, and before they realized it, 
they had reached Cedar Cliff and landed at the foot of the beautiful Terrace 
that gleamed long and wide in the moonlight halfway up the hillside. Wood 


116 


Once Upon a Time 


nymphs raced down to receive them as they came up from the Stream, and 
the Lord of the Forest, who was seated upon a throne of massive rock, with 
Sylvia by his side, himself rose to greet them. 

No sooner had each one been received with due pomp and ceremony than 
the elf-men landed in tiny boats and came toiling up to be welcomed in their 
turn, while the water-sprites, mounted on dragon-flies, hastened to the foun- 
tain the Princess had lent for the occasion. It was one of the loveliest in her 
Kingdom and in the deep pool of its basin, they plunged and swam in the 
happiest manner. For it was a great event in the lives of these wee water 
people to leave the Creek. And there had been much discussion among them- 
selves as to whether or not it were wise for them to do so. But as the whole 
Valley (except the Pine Giants) was going to the feast they felt that they, 
too, must. 

Yet, after all, the Rain could not come, for she was needed so badly 
to save the flowers of a far-off desert, that she had been obliged to take leave 
of the Rock Boy during the afternoon in the Grotto. The Wind, however, was 
here, there and everywhere, and kept rushing away now and then to describe to 
the Pine Giants, and especially his friend, the Wise One, what a good time all 
His Lordship’s guests were having; and then he would whirl back again to 
bring the Giant’s congratulations. 

When they had all assembled the feasting began. Fruit and berries 
were piled high and there were large leaves for the taller folk, small leaves 
for the smaller ones, to be used for plates, and goblets ranging in all sizes 
from the tinest half of a hazelnut to tulip-cups. 

After the feasting, there was dancing, of course. And everyone was 
so light of foot that they soon became light of heart, and quite forgot how 
soon Freedom was to leave them, until the Lord of the Forest called for silence. 

Your Majesties, he said, I promised the Sun there should be no delay; 
that the boy would be ready when he appeared. The day is breaking and the 
time has come to say farewell.” 

So the little Rock Boy stood up very straight and looked into the eyes 


The Gallant Rescue of the Rainbow Frost Prince 


117 


of his friends. Now that he was really going, Freedom felt rather awed at 
the thought of living with the great Sun, and a little bit frightened to be 
departing for a strange country, but his voice rang out clear and firm. 

“I love you all,” he told them. “I shall love you always, and I shall 
be the best giant I can, and come back just as soon and as often as the Sun 
will let me.” 

“Dear child,” murmured the Princess, “we shall never forget you.” 

And the Rainbow Frost Prince and the Lord of the Forest together led 
the cheering. 

As it subsided, the Queen exclaimed, “Oh, Freedom, I beg of you, keep 
your promise. You can never be as dear to anyone as you are to the fairies 
of your native Grotto. Try to remember all we have taught you. Now, say 
goodbye quickly to the Little Mortal.” 

“No, there is no time for that,” urged the Wind. “You must come with 
me this moment or you’ll be too late.” 

“Wait! Wait!” cried both the children, and Faith hastily pulled out 
the tiny stopper of the little gold bottle. The next instant, a wonderful 
fragrance filled the air. But, even as the little boy and girl each drew in a 
deep breath, the Wind tossed Freedom up onto his shoulders and rushed with 
him to the place where the earth and sky seem to meet. 

The Sun was just coming up from the Land Beyond the Horizon. 

Before, the Sun had always seemed to Faith to be only a great yellow 
ball, but now, as she looked through her bright tears, with the fairy perfume 
still lingering about her, she saw, instead, a golden chariot drawn by four 
prancing steeds, and driven by a Giant clad in gold with a mantle of crimson. 
As it rested full upon the earth the Sun Giant held out his hand to the Rock 
Boy and Freedom sprang into the chariot. 

Faith eagerly brushed away her tears to see better, but to her surprise, 
the chariot and horses and Giant, even her own little comrade, had vanished 


118 


Once Upon a Time 


and once more the Sun was as she had always known him — a great yellow 
ball. 


She was still gazing at it, bewildered, when she felt a light touch on 
her cheek. It was the wand of the Fairy Queen. 

“Will you return with us again, to the Grotto, Faith V’ she asked 
sweetly. 

Oh, how the little girl longed to say yes. But she thought of her far- 
away home and knew that she must make only one answer. 

“No, thank you, Your Majesty,” she said simply, “I’m going back to 
the Land of Human Beings. My Father and Grandmother may be getting 
anxious for me. I’m not sure they meant me to stay away quite so long.” 

“Then Spike will lead you safely to them,” returned Her Majesty, gra- 
ciously. “He loves the Birds’ Beautiful Friend so much that he would rather 
be a staff in her home than be himself anywhere else. Give her our dearest 
greetings.” 

And when the little girl had watched the faerie multitude float and fly 
away, she put her hand on Spike’s head and returned with him to the Place 
Where the Birds Like to Nest. 


At This Very Moment 



At This Very Moment 


121 


Now, all these things happened quite awhile ago. But the 
changes in the Valley have been remarkably few. 

To be sure, there is no longer any Rainbow Palace. For 
as soon as the Frost King heard of the rescue of the 
Prince, he lost no time in making certain for himself, 
of the glad truth of the tidings. And after he had em- 
braced the Princess and their son, and had been told 
everything, he said to Her Highness: 

“Now that our boy is once more himself bring your 
maidens and return with me to the Land of Ice where 
you are Queen. In your absence, I have built you a 
Palace far more wonderful than any you have ever known. 
And there, we will all dwell together, the whole year 
round except when the Prince goes with me, each Fall, to 
paint the windows of mortals, and to help me make the 
barren landscapes beautiful.” 

Of course, the Princess was only too glad to do as the 
Frost King wished, yet it was hard for her to leave 
her Stream. Before she did so, she gave all the rainbows 
of her Palace to the Fairies as a gift of gratitude. 

And once in every twelfth moon, on the night of the 
longest day of the year, she and Concordia come down to 
visit the Little People and play for them beside the Grotto. 
So, if you are in the Valley on Mid-Summer Eve, you may 
meet her. 

Sometimes, too, if you are in the North, you may watch 
her ascend with her retinue up to the sky, where she goes 
to visit her radiant mother, the Rainbow Queen. And, 


122 


Once Upon a Time 


because on these journeys they make the Land of Ice bright 
with color, the folk of that country lovingly call them 
their Northern Lights. 

But one of the Princess’ naiads is not with her. For 
Cedar Creek was so dear to Cloud that she begged to be 
allowed to stay there with the water-sprites. You may 
see her on a clear, cool day, when you stroll beside the 
limpid water. 

And still, the Hamas live in their Elm, and the wood- 
nymphs flit about in the Tangle and dance on the Terrace, 
and feast in the Willows. Often, if you are out on a moon- 
light night, you will hear the quick click of a tree as a 
dryad slips inside it. Or the faint echo of the Lord of 
the Forest’s bugle. And, even in the daytime, you may 
catch the disappearing flutter of his mantle as he steps 
into hiding. 

And still, the elves dwell in their Stronghold. But, there 
is now no Spring-of-Tears, for as time went on the wee 
men grew less selfish and could no longer bear to see the 
dryads weep. So, once more, Windflower, accompanied 
now by Star Wing, brings them dew each night and morn- 
ing, as of old. 

And still, the fairies, in all their magic power, live in 
the Grotto of Rocky Nook. For, children dear, Fairyland 
will last forever! Nothing can ever destroy it! And, al- 
though there may be other ways to reach it, the loveliest 
will always be through the Village Where The Cedars 
Grow, and with the help of the Birds’ Beautiful Friend. 


The End. 




Press of 

The Girard Job Shop 
Girard, Kansas 

































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